A World of One-Shots!
by The.Melanarchist
Summary: One shot ToS passages and drabbles... Probably going to be Kratos and Lloyd-centric, and WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS.Taking recommendations now! Newest Chapter: A little campfire fun- Lloyd plays the truth game and asks everyone what they fear the most... Kratos isn't sure about joining in. (Almost a CRACK!fic)
1. Avenge

**(A/N) So I've noticed that all my good ToS stories have been skits from the game, and decided I'd just do a compilation of a ton of my favorite ones. Kratos is my favorite, so most skits will probably revolve around his relationship with Lloyd, but I also do humor, so not everything will be this serious...Anyways, I'll happily take recommendations, and I have a ton of skit ideas lined up, so it should be updated regularly. If you didn't already get it, yes there will be spoilers if you haven't played the game, or watched the very awesome OVA (If you haven't done either, go PLEASE, you have not lived!) So yea, please R & R, I love constructive criticism! XD**

**Disclaimer: Nope. I do not own ToS, or Kratos, or Lloyd, or even that much money, so don't sue!**

**This first oneshot is intended to show how much Kratos blames himself for Anna's death, and how his and Lloyd's viewpoints differ on the matter, first part is Lloyd, second is Kratos. XP**

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_**"Avenge"**_

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"Mom, I've avenged you." Lloyd breathed heavily, from both the emotional and physical strain of defeating Kvar. Though he said it quietly to himself, Kratos heard. Lloyd could see that as he glanced up at the mercenary. A rare expression graced his usually stoic features for just a moment, something like anger, satisfaction, and even guilt. Lloyd could never quite read him though, but somehow he shared Lloyd's intense urge to murder that sadistic cardinal, and for that Lloyd didn't know to be grateful, or disturbed. Kratos always spoke of not getting emotionally involved, and for the most part he lived what he preached. Now Lloyd thought about it, the peculiarity of the whole ordeal begun to weigh on him. Lloyd looked up to meet Kratos' eyes, which locked on his instantaneously. He now wore a firm expression, but his russet eyes reflected the same thoughts as before, and Lloyd knew he hadn't simply imagined it. Kratos opened his mouth to speak, but a heavy pause weighted down his words before hand, also unlike him. Lloyd surprised himself, he didn't recall committing any of this information to memory, yet apparently he had been paying very close attention to Kratos after all.

"Lloyd," he started, dropping his eyes to the floor, "The one who killed your mother was your father." Anger bubbled up inside Lloyd, what right did he have to bring this up? But the remorse in Kratos' voice pushed it back down. He obviously felt bad about speaking of it, yet somehow it was important for him to get out. "Are you really able to say you've avenged her?" He brought his gaze back up, almost defiantly, asking him to blame his own father for his mother's death.

At this Lloyd paused. He wanted so badly to push all of his hatred on Kvar, his sick fascination with telling him his parents' story was utterly repulsive. The man took disgusting pleasure as he told the tragedy his father had to commit. Lloyd tested the waters.

"The one who created the situation that forced Dad to kill Mom was Kvar." He stated, but it was almost a question. He felt it necessary to add "Right?" It was more important that Kratos acknowledged it. He always knew what he was saying, the right course of action, the line between just and wrong. If he agreed, then it was true.

"Indeed. It was a silly question." Kratos recoiled after Lloyd's uncertain answer. "I'm sorry." Lloyd knew that he had pushed the man back inside his comfort zone. He was conflicted, and Lloyd thought it strange that he was the one explaining things for once. He shook it off, the man was back to normal.

"No," he reassured, "Don't worry about it." His world was stable, the right murderer lay dead at his feet for his sins. His mother was avenged.

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Kratos felt the adrenaline slowly start to fade, the emotions coursing through his veins were so strong, so sharp. He hadn't felt anything rivaling that in years, and it left him drained. The wretched being responsible for Anna, finally paid with his life. A bitter smirk tugged at his lips, the man deserved nothing less than to die such a painful death. The place, Kvar's ranch, repulsed him to be there. Looking down at the man's, no, the monster's bloody corpse, Kratos was drenched in memories of his past. His greatest sin. He could no longer be in this place, or else his indifferent facade would shatter. It was only this kind of anger that could convince him to leave Mithos again. Kratos looked away from the mangled body, and prepared to leave, until he heard Lloyd faintly speak.

"Mom, I've avenged you." Such finality, and even satisfaction toned his sad words. Kratos couldn't help but feel a stab of intense pain and remorse at what his son was going through, what he'd had to endure because of his mistake. He could feel Lloyd's stare, and mentally kicked himself for allowing any emotion to cross his face. He didn't know how to approach it. How could he apologize when the boy didn't even know that he was his son? He was the one that caused this ordeal, the one that allowed this wretched system of expheres to be built. The one that was once a teacher to the man that ripped up the system of the world and was now hell-bent on reviving the dead. If only the dead could be revived. If anything, he deserved Lloyd's hatred as much as Kvar. It might finally serve as penance for his sins, because Lloyd's hatred would be the most utterly painful thing that he had yet to endure. He met the boys questioning eyes. They were so like his mothers. That was what gave him the strength to ask his next question.

"Lloyd." This would be so much harder to do than he thought, the boy's eyes were so innocently bright, satisfied. "The one who killed your mother was your father." There. He'd said it, and now he tensed ready to feel the crushing defeat of having his own son hate him with all of his being. He deserved it, and Lloyd could never know. "Are you really able to say you've avenged her?" He said that last part almost spitefully. He hated himself.

Lloyd's eyes flashed angrily for a moment, and Kratos, the coward that he was could no longer meet his gaze and dropped it to the floor. He sickened himself. Though, he could already feel Lloyd's demeanor softening, thinking through his words. An eternity passed.

"The one who created the situation that forced Dad to kill Mom was Kvar." he didn't seem to know if that was a worthy answer, and though Kratos knew it was wrong for him to be relieved, it was as if an enormous weight was lifted from his shoulders. He felt guilty in his slight respite. "Right?" Lloyd added, trying to get him to agree with him. Lloyd looked like a lost kid, like when he was a child. His expression told Kratos that he didn't know what to think. He needed solidity. Kratos shouldn't have pressed the matter, it was obviously emotionally painful for Lloyd to have gone through what he did. Kratos had been selfish to push, or so he told himself.

"Indeed. It was a silly question. I'm sorry" He said brusquely, pulling himself together. He vowed not to fall apart again. Lloyd didn't need anything from him, he didn't deserve to have the privilege to advise his son, or comfort him, or anything. He waived that luxury the moment he unknowingly abandoned him.

"No, don't worry about it." Lloyd said amicably. Kratos didn't deserve the boy's kindness, and though no one could see it, he walked away full of more self-loathing than before, as he now bore sole responsibility for Anna's death. The other man had paid for his crime, while Kratos still had yet to.

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**So thats it! Please fav and alert, cuz I'll try to update regularly, oh and tell me whatcha think!**


	2. Sense of Direction

**Another one cranked out... though its choppier than I had intended. This one is placed after they get to Triet, but while their traveling to the Seal of Fire in the Triet Ruins. Skit is only triggered if you walk around aimlessly beforehand! (Don't judge me! XD) Yes, still spoilers cuz it's Kratos' POV... sorry if that means you don't read!**

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**_"Sense of Direction"_**

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Despite the searing temperatures, Kratos glanced down at Lloyd with slight amusement in his eyes. The boy looked incredibly determined, and had sweat pouring down his face. He still was adamant about taking the lead, and everyone trudged behind him half-heartedly. Not Kratos though, he kept pace, wondering when Lloyd would tire. He checked back on Raine and Genis, who walked in stride with Colette. Raine was obviously deep in thought, and kept conversation with them. He was a little surprised that Raine had yet to notice, but it was easy enough to overlook as much of the desert did look the same... if one didn't take into account that Lloyd was in front. This was becoming a waste of time. Kratos sighed loudly. Lloyd took no notice, still doggedly determined.

"Lloyd," Kratos started, and stopped in his tracks, inviting Lloyd to do the same. "Do you have any sense of direction?" It wasn't an insult, at least in Kratos' mind it was an apt question, especially given the circumstances. Lloyd, however, became furious. His eyebrows shifted down defensively.  
"What are you talking about?" He raged, "I lived in the middle of a forest. I'm pretty confident with my sense of direction." He calmed slightly, and seemed to think that was plenty justification, even nodding slightly to himself. Kratos didn't change his expression in the least, keeping up his mask of apathy, though he really did want to chuckle at the boy's expense. It was quite amusing how protective Lloyd got over his own skills when they were called into doubt.

"And yet," Kratos looked up at the sky, a bright blue and almost too bright to bear, "we've been heading in the opposite direction from the Triet Ruins for a while now." He spoke with absolutely no reprimand in his voice, yet even in the intense heat, Lloyd's complexion blanched in embarrassment.

"What?! R...really?" He stammered, looking around himself frantically. Raine had started to pay attention to their abrupt halt, and looked equally flushed as she quickly checked the sun, and seemed resigned to going the other way without a word said.

"The Triet Ruins are to the southwest." Kratos reminded Lloyd, allowing the boy to draw his own conclusions. Lloyd jumped on the chance to redeem himself, and used a hand to shield his eyes as he looked at the angle of the sun. It only took a brief moment.

"Let's see," He said, now doubting his own abilities, "considering the height of the sun during this season, that would make it this way." He turned completely around and smacked himself in the forehead. They had been walking for about an hour. Why the hell had Kratos not pointed it out earlier? Lloyd knew that it was his own eagerness to get to the first seal that got them sidetracked, and inadvertently he had added another two hours to their trip.

"If you know the way, then let us be going at once." Kratos allowed an edge of impatience to creep into his voice. He couldn't help but add "This is not a children's field trip." He had told Lloyd that it wasn't going to be so simple, he should have been expecting that bit of reprimand. Looking back on it, Kratos was aghast with himself. He sounded like a parent, telling a child 'I told you so', and hadn't he done exactly just that? But because he was Kratos, and not some mere mortal, no one noticed his shock. He could always manage to keep an indifferent look plastered on, it would be required if the trip were to take as long as it seemed it would. Lloyd, however, was fuming to his side, but had already recovered and started leading the other way. That kid sure was resilient, Kratos gave him that.

"I know that." It appeared that Lloyd was angrier at himself, than at Kratos for pointing it out. That was good; it meant that he should learn quickly to avoid this kind of thing in the future. Kratos felt a pang of pride, unexpectedly. His son was an honest boy, determined, and ambitious. It was still sinking in that Lloyd was alive, and Kratos was trying his best to stay detached. Lloyd didn't need his father now, it would only shake up his concrete world. He had Dirk, a good man in his own right. Lloyd would be able to handle whatever Yggdrasill put him through without Kratos' help. He could only silently hope for them to end the ordeal in one piece.

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**So, yea! Please Review, and I'd like to have some kind of input for either what you liked (or hated!) or what you****_ would_**** like to see in the future! Thanks for reading, I appreciate it!**


	3. Good Job, Noishe!

**Just had this one sitting around, I thought it was sorta cute. Lloyd's POV after they escape from the 'Human Ranch' in Triet when Lloyd was captured. Skit about how Noishe helped save Lloyd that I saw on another playthrough and thought, Hm... I should write this! Actually no spoilers for once, that's pretty rare for me!**

**Disclaimer: If someone out there ****_does_**** own Tales of Symphonia, and would like to give me the rights to it, I would be in their debt for life. Seriously. For now, I am a teenage girl with nothing. So don't sue, because I don't have much to sue for!**

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_**"Good Job Noishe!"**_

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Lloyd was grateful, and a bit shell shocked. The now recently reunited party was standing outside the oasis town of Triet, and Lloyd had never been so happy to see those waves of sand dunes in his life. He was lucky that his friends had found him, because walking straight into the leader's office while trying to escape from a Human Ranch was a thing that could only happen to him. In hindsight, flat out insulting the guy at first glance was also a poor choice of action. What were the odds of him picking that room anyways? And why the_ hell_ was the guy sitting in there with the lights off? Desians didn't make any sense, seriously. The fortuitous arrival of his team did scare the living crap out of them, apparently, despite Lloyd being left with more questions than answers. Yes Lloyd did know the word fortuitous, though he wasn't quite sure if that was how it was meant to be used. What creeped him out the most was the fact that they man with the ponytail decided not to kill him as soon as he saw his exsphere, and what did he mean by seeing the resemblance? Ah, it was best that he just forgot it all; he would never get anywhere while thinking in circles. A question surfaced that he could answer, though. He turned to one of his silver haired companions.

"Hey, Genis" He got the younger boy's attention and bright blue eyes met his instantly. It was clear that he was still worried about the past events. "How did you manage to find Colette?" They were quite a ways away, and who knew where the Chosen's group was searching for them? Genis smiled proudly at that.

"We owe it all to Noishe." He boasted, patting the creature to his right. Noishe barked affectionately and flapped his rather large ears. The mass of green and white fur then proceeded to plop down in the sand as if to say 'My work is done here'. Lloyd gave Genis a questioning look, and then he explained, "I went back to Triet, and had Noishe follow Colette's scent!" He swept a long strand of silver hair away from his face while beaming at both Noishe and his own ingenuity. Lloyd gave Noishe an approving pat.

"Wow, cool, Noishe! Good job!" Noishe was lapping up all of the attention and howled in acknowledgement. That creature was so smart. He bounded up and bolted between Lloyd and Kratos while Lloyd continued to pet him. Kratos was listening while Raine was reorganizing the packs, though Lloyd hadn't noticed he was following the conversation that closely. He rested his hand on Noishe's head in a rare show of approval.

"He's more useful than you are." He said bluntly, though certain mirth flashed in his eyes for a second. Lloyd couldn't tell if he was joking or not, but it appeared that the odds that Kratos was telling a joke were very slim. It was in Kratos' usual monotone, with no inflection signifying emotions in his words, so Lloyd was momentarily stumped. He decided to take some offense to his observation, even if that was Kratos version of humor. Yes he had gotten captured, but it was kind of hard to avoid every poster they had stuck up on every single damn billboard. Which did not look like him. At all. Lloyd's eye twitched with the memory of the skewed drawing, it had already taken a toll on his pride. He quickly realized he had taken too long to respond with dignity.

"Humph," he huffed with slight recognition of his mistake, it would be faster to just accept it and move on, "soooorrryy" he added a touch of sarcasm, stressing the 'y'. He couldn't help it if there was always someone after him. But he wouldn't get caught again. Kratos just smirked at his response, which Lloyd thought just might be as close to a smile as he might ever get. Lloyd didn't know why, but he cracked a grin. A cool breeze sent fingers of wind ruffling his hair, announcing the coming of nighttime as the sun was setting. A rich red band of sky stretched across the western horizon, splaying a beautiful array of colors in the otherwise clear sky. Lloyd appreciated what he had. Hey, they were all alive, and together, and Lloyd was secretly flattered that they all went through so much trouble to get him back.

He could live with that.

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**Anyways, I love Noishe, so I thought it was a decent skit... Please Review, and yes I know it was shorter than normal, sorry! Still open for any skit recommendations, and feel free to point out typos, this is un-betaed, and typos drive me crazy when I see them, so I will not take any offense whatsoever! Thanx for reading!**


	4. A Journey to Save the World

**(A/N) Two short ones today! Yes, spoilers. Just two separate skits I like... and if you guys like these, go ahead and look at 'A Snowy Encounter' and 'Tomato Soup' that I wrote a while back... those are also skits I might repost here instead, maybe with a bit more depth. Anyways: Enjoy, and please leave a review! I'll keep writing anyway, but it would be great to know if anyone wants to read more...XD**

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_**"Journey to Save the World"**_

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The group sat around the fire, the night darkened everything around them, artfully casting jittering shadows that moved with the flames across their arms, their faces. Kratos calmly stared into the flames, as had become routine while everyone else went to sleep. It wasn't that he couldn't sleep, he didn't need to, nor did he want to because of the dreams that plagued him. It was always best for him to keep watch, and it was almost soothing on these traveling nights to look up at the stars. He recalled that being a hobby when Lloyd was a small child, and long before, but especially with Lloyd and Anna. The sky held fond memories. He tipped his head back, auburn hair falling slightly out of his face as he examined the ever constant stars that never lost their beauty. Lloyd begun to nod off across the fire while leaning heavily on Genis, whose eyes had also started to droop. Raine was sitting calmly to his left, and though he was trying to ignore her, her piercing gaze became uncomfortable. Never one to willingly start a conversation, he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Other than the Chosen, our group doesn't look like one that's on a journey to save the world." He observed softly, so as not to wake the drifting teens. The professor quirked an eyebrow, taking it the wrong way.

"You still don't trust Lloyd and Genis?" She looked prepared to defend their virtues, and Kratos shook his head slightly.

"They are much too young to bear the fate of the world." They really were so fragile and impressionable. There was no need to pain more souls with the wretched rituals than necessary. "I'm concerned that they will not be able to handle this journey." That was more true than he let on. He suspected that Raine knew what lied at the end of their path, she cautiously had accepted the Chosen's fate. Lloyd and Genis could never be told, never be asked to make that kind of choice. The professor's gaze softened briefly, but then her eyes narrowed quickly. Perhaps she had remembered that Kratos did not know anything of the Chosen's fate, Kratos guessed. He wasn't supposed to.

"While I may be an elf, I'm still just a school teacher from a small village." She trivialized her role easily enough. "And you're a mercenary who fights for money." Her voice was challenging, as if she knew that he wasn't who he pretended to be. "I don't think we're fit to handle the task of saving the world, either, wouldn't you agree?" She was trying to play to his ego. Kratos smirked to himself. He'd run into plenty of clever people before and never lost his cool. She wouldn't get what she was looking for, she couldn't outsmart a 4000 year old seraphim. He'd seen it all. Her point was valid enough, though. This group was far from prepared to Regenerate the Worlds, and there was an unspoken agreement that the Chosen's secret would remain just that.

"Hn, indeed." Kratos cut the conversation off and tipped his head back up to the sky. Whatever the outcome of their journey, the stars would remain for thousands of years to come, as they had existed for thousands of years past. The worlds needed at least some semblance of consistency, after all.

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_**"Kratos' Intention"**_

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"Kratos." Raine had trained her suspicious glare back on the silent 'mercenary'. She really had no evidence to prove that he was otherwise, his story was flawless. He just seemed to know too much, about anything and everything they encountered. More than her, even though he tried to hide it most times. She saw those times. Maybe it grated on her pride, or what not, for any reason, she looked askance on any of his intentions. She needed to see what was under that mask, and an interrogation was exactly what needed to take place to clear this up.

"Why did you take on the job of guarding Colette?" She'd seen how he looked at the children. Especially Lloyd, it was as if he had already resigned himself to hurting them. If he was simply detached, it wouldn't bother Raine, but he was getting so close with Lloyd. The other day, after training, Raine had seen Kratos smiling at the boy. It was the only time he'd smiled. Perhaps Raine was protective of her students, but Kratos didn't share much of anything. While these thoughts ran through her head, Kratos looked at her with mild annoyance.

"Hmph," his eyes had disappointment in them, as if he expected something better in her attempts to unmask him, "I'm a mercenary." As if that was more than enough to explain it. "That's how we earn money to live." Now that seriously wounded Raine's pride. She plowed on, searching for something deeper.

"In other words, it's just a job?" She needed him to acknowledge that he had no right getting close to her students. They were under her protection, and she knew that Kratos was going to hurt them. Building bonds with Kratos was going to be painful for Lloyd to break, the last thing the boy need was a father-figure snatched away after the job was done and Colette was... but they'd cross that bridge when they got there.

"That's correct." Kratos said brusquely. Everything about his manner was harsh around her. He knew what she was asking, too.

"That's really all?" Raine wouldn't accept his answer. She locked eyes with him, asking for that agreement. He had to leave Lloyd be, before it was too late. Kratos' hard gaze broke. It looked painful for him to admit anything at this point. Raine wouldn't allow any sympathy to reach her unyielding demeanor, though. Whatever he was trying to do wouldn't slip by her.

"Yes." Kratos reluctantly replied, much softer than before. That was what Raine wanted, a genuine acceptance. It wasn't personal; it was what she had to do. They sunk back into an uneasy silence with Kratos a bit more solemn than before.

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**Yes, both short, so I combined them, sorry! Please Review!**


	5. The Truth

**(A/N) Mega spoilers in this chapter, so you've been warned. This is the super-emotionally charged scene in front of Altessa's where Lloyd finally learns the Truth about his father (aka KRATOS!) I know there isn't a Z-skit for this, but I just felt like doing it because it is probably one of my favorite scenes of the entire game/OVA. Just to let you know, it's not the exact dialogue from either, and I left out any character interactions besides Yuan, Lloyd, and Kratos (since it ends before Mithos shows up and I think Colette's speech is better off left out) So enjoy!**

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_**"The Truth"**_

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Lloyd temporarily forgot his Renegade dilemma as his eyes slid from Yuan's smirking face to Kratos' stoic one. The unreachable seraphim stood before him, as if nothing had ever happened. As if he was just some other person he had never met.

Kratos. Yuan had said he was going to see his father. Why was Kratos here? He had two armed guards on either side, but Lloyd knew he could easily dispatch them. Something kept him firmly anchored in place, and his stance was rigid and guarded. Why didn't he leave? It was obvious that he despised the confrontation that Yuan was presenting. Lloyd was shaken out of his reverie by a sharp jab to the back.

"Now, Kratos!" He demanded, "Will you release Origin's seal?" The men holding Lloyd down kept a firm grip as he struggled, and along with being outnumbered and weaponless, he was still numbed with sleep. Kratos remained impassive, but his posture was strained. Lloyd couldn't suppress a snort.

"You've got the wrong leverage, Yuan." He managed, ignoring the tightened, more painful, hold on his arms, "Kratos has already betrayed us. He doesn't give a damn about what happens to me." Lloyd's voice cracked on the last sentence. It was true, his mind told him, but his stupid heart wouldn't believe it. Despite knowing better, he couldn't quash the growing hope in his chest that Kratos cared for them. For him. It was the all too popular cynicism that he allowed to speak, however, and he was utterly shocked to see Kratos looked remorseful to the point of sorrow. It was impossible that he still- no, Lloyd would not allow himself to think like that. He had gotten so close before, so trusting that it hurt too deep for him to go through it again.

Yuan spoke a second time, but this time Lloyd could hear the taunting smile in his voice without seeing his face, "Would you really allow your son to die for you?" He pressed his mana weapon between Lloyd's shoulder-blades harshly, and the boy cringed at the jarring force. He blinked through the pain, not quite comprehending what Yuan was trying to say. Kratos averted his gaze and muttered an unintelligible "Hn." His body language screamed apathy to Lloyd, and that hurt more than the weapon at his back, though Lloyd knew it was what he should have expected. Slowly, Kratos lifted his eyes to meet Lloyd's, and Lloyd was swallowed in the pain and misery that he withheld from his features in the depths of those russet eyes. Kratos, the almighty seraphim of Cruxis, the imperturbable and unbeatable swordsman, then proceeded to astonish Lloyd on all fronts.

He flinched.

After meeting Lloyd's gaze he jerked his own back towards Yuan, almost angrily. Lloyd realized that it pained Kratos to look at him, and he sat almost shell-shocked at the revelation. He allowed a tiny sliver of hope to escape the caged confines of his heart. Lloyd's affection had not been one-sided. The man still cared. Yuan then raised his voice.

"You cowardly bastard! You would let your own son die instead of release Origin!" He accused, now beginning to wonder if his whole plan might blow up in his face. His lip curled in rage at how far his friend had fallen.

"Hn." Kratos repeated. He didn't trust his words at the moment; he wanted nothing more than to blast Yuan off of the face of Tethe'alla for even thinking of hurting his son. Releasing Origin was too dangerous, though, not for his own sake. By now he had committed so many terrible sins that he no longer cared if he lived or died. He might do more good dead, after all of this was over, but he could not- would not leave the world to the suffering of the Great Tree gone mad. It was too early. He all but snarled at Yuan in his righteous ignorance.

Lloyd was now beginning to wonder aloud. "Kratos' son is dead, isn't he?" He recalled from a story, or perhaps a lie the mercenary-Kratos had told him on a starry night back in Sylvarant. A nagging suspicion was rising in his subconscious, but he refused to acknowledge it. It was too outrageous. But then- he was caught up in a flurry of memories._ "I see the resemblance."_ Yuan had said when they first met, _"I need you, Lloyd Irving."_ Kratos' gentle words of wisdom, his expression when he left. How they trained together. His refusal to fight all-out. Oh Goddess. The memories kept coming. The sad look on his face when Lloyd asked about his family, the longing. Finding Kratos at Mom's grave. The absolute fury he couldn't contain when killing Kvar, and- damn. The blame he put on Lloyd's father, of all people.

It clicked. "No." Lloyd told himself more than Yuan,"No, Kratos isn't my father! He _can't be_!" He denied the evidence streaming through his skull. It was too much, and now his fragile world was crumbling apart. His father was alive, traveled with him even.

And betrayed him, was an angel of Cruxis, served Mithos. "I won't- I can't believe it." He struggled to come to terms with his shaking grasp on reality. His eyes locked onto Kratos, looking for anything to deny it. A callous brush off, a brisk bout of fury, even his usual 'Hn' would suffice. Something in character, Lloyd needed desperately to know for sure. Instead, any emotional stability he might have retained was shattered.

Kratos looked broken. Remorse filled his eyes, but the pain and restraint now spread into the open. He was taken aback, and his mouth parted as if he had something to say, but more in surprise because words wouldn't come. Lloyd was never supposed to find out, and the crushing weight of his son's denial threatened to splinter his resolve. And his balance. Kratos stumbled backwards in discernible pain, trying his best to mask his reaction for Lloyd's sake.

"I-" he found his voice just in time for Yuan to cut him off. Yuan smirked, as he finally found the guilt he had been digging for. He had to capitalize on the temporarily vulnerable state Kratos was in.

"How does it feel to have your own son reject you?" Yuan laughed spitefully. It was so ironic, how they were once friends until Kratos' family begun to tear them apart. Now Kratos had been put through just as much pain as he had once Martel died. Emotion was such a powerful motivator. A part of him hurt for his friend, yet the worlds were more important. He should see that without the boy as leverage. Nevertheless, they had to move on. Yuan began to gather a fatal amount of mana in a sphere. This would surely kill Lloyd if it were to land.

"I need an answer, Kratos." He knew he could not hold him there, Kratos was too strong for that. He needed his word, and so be it, if the man was too overcome with grief after losing his son to carry on, it would meet the same ends. Yuan always looked at the results, and this was the last option, and regrettably his only means in which to execute it.

Lloyd felt the energy behind him stirring as Yuan gathered mana. The half-elf had proven himself deadly in the past by such attacks, and Lloyd grew frantic. He struggled desperately trying to break the Renegade's hold on his shoulders, trying not to think about the man he had been searching for his whole life. He was standing right in front of him, too. He'd gotten to know him, had begrudgingly admitted to being ... proud of him.

He was going to watch him die.

It was all too fast to see. Lloyd broke free of one of the men at the exact same moment as Kratos charged Yuan. Lloyd felt a forceful push to his back and hit the dirt a split-second before hearing Yuan's mana ball release and subsequently hit. Lloyd pushed himself up, dazed slightly, while also wondering why he wasn't dead. He turned his head slowly, and the night sky emphasized the flickering lights coming from Altessa's house in front of him. The light danced dangerously on Kratos' back, casting his shadow far over Lloyd's sprawled figure on the cobblestone path. Yuan stared on in horror.

"He-" Yuan stammered, now at a loss for words. His plan had completely backfired.

Kratos stood firm, and Lloyd thought Yuan had missed at first, until he saw the whiteness of his face, and the growing red stain on his stomach. His auburn hair covered one eye, but the one Lloyd could see was searching his face. Drinking in his wholeness.

"Are you okay?" He gasped slightly, still taking in the boy below him. His breath grew jagged and short, and Lloyd was too mesmerized to even respond. It seemed Kratos didn't need a reply, and satisfied with Lloyd's safety, he muttered "Good." Lloyd stared with wide eyes at Kratos, in a new light. The man he had once thought enigmatic, arrogant, and cold now wore a soft smile, and the scene enthralled Lloyd. Kratos staggered once backwards, and his expression contorted into one of unbearable pain before he fell to his knees and collapsed. Lloyd broke out of his hypnotic stare and rushed to help him, regardless of Yuan's still stuttering presence. Only one thought managed to surface, and Lloyd wanted to cry in both joy and grief at the same time.

Kratos had saved him. His father had rescued him even if it meant certain death.

* * *

**Such a great part of the story, I just love writing Kratos... anyways, as usual please tell me what you thought/criticisms/etc. because I've been getting tons of views, but unfortunately no real feedback, so please let me know (even if you hate it!) so I can find out what I need to work on XD thanx again guys!**

***update was to fix typos as of 2-15-13***


	6. Kratos, Our Enemy

**(A/N) Really short one today... though my next one will be more along the lines of my last chapter to make up for it! Convo after the Tower of Salvation scene (which I'll do next!) about how Kratos betrayed them. When I played the first time through, I was depressed for a week after Kratos left... he was MY character, and then I had to make do with Sheena instead, sigh. It made me so happy when he came back! Please R&R! **

* * *

_**"Kratos, Our Enemy"**_

* * *

Raine stabbed the dirt path with every step, frustrated and at a loss for what to do. The Tower of Salvation, supposedly the end of their journey had now become just the beginning. She knew it was a bad habit, but she had taken to muttering to herself. It was all wrong. Everything had taken a turn for the worst, and she was allowed to vent a little.

"...Can't believe he was really our enemy..." Raine spat with another jab to the ground. Sheena walked alongside her, and gave her a slightly quizzical look. Instead of muttering, Sheena had taken to wringing her hands on the tail of her ribbon.

"Kratos?" Sheena asked halfheartedly. Something about his name made everyone in the group tense, and a long and drawn out silence followed. Raine began to fume at herself.

"Yes, I did think he seemed to know too much, but-" She hadn't acted on her hunch, and had been just as drawn in by the mercenary- ahm, _angel's_ mysterious persona. Her suspicions had gotten them nothing in return, and now her lack of action had cost them Colette, and the broken hearts of the majority of the group. Lloyd looked particularly bent out of shape at Kratos' betrayal.

"As we blindly went ahead with the journey of regeneration, he was just laughing at us the whole time!" He yelled at the sky, as if Kratos might hear his solemn insults. Kratos, though, Raine thought at least was coming from a place of honesty when he had let his cold mask slip every now and then. There was no way that could be all an act.

"I wonder." Raine mused softly, "The things he said, especially..." She turned to Lloyd, drawing her eyes up from the dirt path, "Lloyd? I felt a gentleness in the words he spoke to you." That was true, Kratos always seemed over protective of Lloyd, despite it being his duty to defend Colette. She had realized Lloyd was his priority as soon as he had agreed to train him. Lloyd, however, snorted in disapproval.

"Kratos, gentle? You've got to be kidding." He denied. The man was as cold as ice, and the more Lloyd looked back on things, the less surprising it was that he had betrayed them. Lloyd told himself this, anyways, thinking of Kratos' rare shows of approval, or words of wisdom only made it more painful to acknowledge his absence. Sheena nodded quietly.

"Still, it's hard to believe the things he said to us after we saw the Exsphere manufacturing at the Asgard ranch were spoken by a cold-hearted angel of Cruxis." She said bitterly, Kratos looked disgusted with it. He had even spoke of how low the half-elves had stooped, genuinely wanted to stop it. It was all backwards. He was such a back-stabbing hypocrite.

"Then why did he take Colette?" Lloyd halted the confusing memory with concrete evidence. He couldn't get distracted now, not while Colette was in danger. Hesitation was too dangerous.

"I don't know." Raine sighed finally. As much as she hated admitting it, she was lost as far as Kratos' intentions. The man was a definition of an enigma.

"Right." Lloyd seemed pleased enough with her admission, "All we know is that his goals and ours are not the same." That's all he would let himself think about, if and when they saw Kratos again. They were now enemies. Lloyd didn't let the others see, but that was like a dagger to the heart.

* * *

**Sorry it was so short, but I had limited time today... longer one coming out soon! Please review! Feel free to suggest scenes for me to do, not just skits. I like making my own dialogue, but I feel like sticking to game skits is really fun too. Thanx for reading!**


	7. Betrayal

**(A/N) Yea, it's been a while since I wrote a one-shot, and I promised the Tower of Salvation scene. Warning of spoilers if you haven't gotten that far in the game. Please read and review! I hope this one's up to par...XD**

* * *

**_Betrayal_**

* * *

Kratos felt his gut wrench painfully at the innocence in Lloyd's voice. The poor boy didn't even fathom the betrayal he had already committed. Kratos couldn't even bear to look at him. To make it easier on both of them, he played it off as indifference.

"Kratos, where's Colette? We need to stop her!" He was urgent, but his tone still held that reverent awe he always had when around Kratos. 'Kratos would know what to do' it said, and Kratos loathed himself more and more every second he heard it. It was so wrong. He distracted him the best he could.

"Lloyd, why do you associate with the likes of them?" He was referring to the Renegades, half of which he just blew out of the sky with Judgment before Lloyd's arrival. The group was distanced from Yuan's party of rebels as far as Kratos knew this morning.

"Oh," Lloyd smiled as if that was the reason Kratos was acting so guarded, "they're going to help us save Colette. They may look like Desians, but that's just a trick." He began making his way up the stone staircase on which Kratos was unmoving.

"C'mon, let's go stop her!" He trotted up a few more steps. Kratos turned his back a little more; it wouldn't do for Lloyd to see his face now.

"I can't let you do that." His hand now rested on his sword. He really didn't want to follow through with this. He couldn't actually raise his blade against his own son. He stiffened as he heard a sharp, bitter laugh behind him. Yuan's if he wasn't mistaking.

"Looks like you have quite the admirer, Kratos Aurion." He mocked. Kratos hated him at that moment more than he ever thought he could. There was a time when they were friends, but now he had to do what he had to do. Lloyd remained stubbornly confused.

"Kratos, what is he talking about?" Lloyd was now right behind him, but, like a coward, he didn't answer.

"Kratos!" Lloyd inquired louder and grabbed his shoulder. The boy was beginning to sense something was off, and was gripping him as if he might slip away. Kratos squared his shoulders and summoned an intense burst of mana. It flowed to his back and imploded into deep blue tendrils of light. The appearance of his wings forced Lloyd back down the steps through both shock and power. Kratos could hear the collective gasp from the rest of the party. He took a deep breath before continuing.

"I am an angel of Cruxis, the organization that guides this world. As one of the Four Seraphim, I was sent to keep close watch on the Chosen's progress." Genis was one of the first to recover.

"Kratos is an angel, too?" He asked incredulously. Kratos still kept his head turned. Sheena, as he suspected, had never truly taken to him. She stepped up defiantly.

"You deceived us!" She accused. There. That's what he'd been expecting, what he wanted to hear. Complete and utter hatred seething through her tone. He was prepared for that, prepared to make these children despise him.

"Deceived? If the Chosen merges bodies with Martel, then the world regeneration will be complete. Is that not what you wanted? " This was easy, he was simply playing a role. Lloyd snapped out of whatever daze he was in.

"She's going to die, Kratos! Didn't you tell me that I should grow stronger to protect those I care about?" The hurt in his inflection almost broke Kratos. He meant everything he'd told the boy, but he'd gotten too close. Bonds were never supposed to be formed like this.

"The chosen desired the regeneration of the world and chose this path herself" He now sounded dull and lifeless, there was nothing close to resembling emotion in his posture. Nothing to indicate the raging turmoil beneath the surface. He might still be able to go back, his heart tried to tell him.

"You told me a lot of things." Lloyd formed fists of undisguised fury and distress, "I thought you meant them. I thought you cared about us!" It took everything Kratos had learned in his four thousand years not to flinch at the word _cared_. He was nothing more than a stone shell now. Lloyd and the others had fully approached him.

"Move out of the way." He didn't want to stop them by force, but the rising tension made it inevitable.

"By summoning the Chosen to Derris Kharlan, the seal will be broken and the world will be saved." He almost pleaded. "We will take the Chosen as the new body for Martel." Anything to keep from having to draw his sword on them, he rationalized weakly. Kratos still didn't make eye contact. If he met Lloyd's reddish orbs that were so like Anna's, he was sure he would shatter into a thousand pieces.

"Go on ahead, I'll keep him busy." Yuan was focusing on him intently, his expression was one of pity and disgust. Kratos knew what the half-elf thought of him. He drew his blade.

"I cannot allow you to do that." He couldn't. This was the way it had to be, then after Mithos was appeased and Martel was revived, he could possibly beg for forgiveness. The worlds would be reunited once again. Lloyd would never forgive him though. He supposed he deserved it after abandoning him twice. He didn't intend on living that long anyway. Yuan caught his distraction.

"Focus on me, Kratos!" He yelled while drawing his butterfly blade. Yuan leapt nimbly into an attacking strike, and Kratos parried automatically. He was on autopilot, simply a heartless machine. He spun and struck and dodged, but as Yuan yelled, "Hurry go now!" he felt his eyes slip to pick out Lloyd.

The red clad form was backpedaling slowly towards the Tower, eyes trained on the ensuing battle. The remnants of Kratos' heart burned at his son's anguish. Lloyd's eyes were wide with betrayal and anger and pain. And a small bit of hatred. Kratos' torture was complete.

Lloyd sprinted off to save the Chosen, no longer looking back. Kratos was torn from his agitation when Yuan took advantage of his lack of focus. Yuan slammed the flat of his blade against his side, propelling him into a wall. Kratos saw Lloyd's retreating form up the stairs behind Yuan's triumphant battle stance and felt the rest of his soul die.

* * *

**(A/N) Aw. Poor Kratos and Lloyd. Constructive criticism is welcome! Thanx for reading!**


	8. The Psychiatrist

**(A/N) Finally a humorous drabble. This was just a short story idea I had for no apparent reason. Don't know where it came from, but it wasn't long enough to be posted as a multi-chap story, so it is posted here... My attempt at funny, if it's not, sorry. I have a poor sense of humor, so critiques are welcome! Read and Review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales characters in any way shape or form. All information found on psychological disorders was off of Google and I mean no offense to people with these conditions. The diagnosis is just supposed to be funny, and if it offends you or a loved one, it was not my intention and I apologize! That being said, enjoy!**

* * *

_**The Psychiatrist...**_

* * *

Kratos glared mercilessly at the scrap of paper that now lay crumpled in his fist. In all of his four-thousand years of adventures he had never once been required to visit a _psychiatrist_. Apparently it was compulsory. He threw the now disfigured notice in the recycle bin (Yes Kratos does recycle...) while hmphing to himself. No one could require that he visit a shrink, there was no forces short of Mithos' summon spirits that could compel him to do such a thing. Unfortunately the authoress has other ideas.

"You're going to the psychiatrist, Kratos" a bodiless voice echoed loudly through the empty room in Welgaia. Kratos, not being one to surprise easily, merely looked about the bland room in defiance.

"No, I'm not." He replied in his usual monotone, though the source of the command was still unknown.

"I'm the authoress, and all of the readers no doubt are somewhat worried for the gang's mental health. Before being allowed to continue the journey, you must pass a psychiatric exam. We don't want anyone going mad, now do we?" Kratos was about to draw his sword, only to find the sheath empty.

"What?" He could've sworn that the infamous Flamberge was there not two moments ago. In this state of momentary distraction, his vision was clouded with blinding white light.

The setting had shifted to a small, crowded waiting room. The walls were scathingly bright orange and plush couches and wooden chairs were strewn across the narrow chamber. Unfortunately for him, it was also full of people. Not just random strangers, no, of course not, it was filled with his supposed 'friends'. Lloyd and his gang were patiently waiting in chairs and couches for something to happen. Upon seeing Kratos, instead of the expected cries of 'Traitor' and 'How could you?!', he was instead met with a curious glance.

"Hey, Kratos is here, too!" Lloyd called out gleefully. He held up a slip of paper. "Looks like we all have to talk to this person before we can go back to saving the worlds." Kratos did his usual "...", but no one payed it any mind. Kratos noted that not only were Lloyd, Genis, Raine, Colette, Presea, Regal, Zelos, and Sheena there, but also Forcystus and Mithos. How had _they_ gotten tangled up in this too? Mithos seemed to be avoiding the others in his child form and sat in a chair far too big for him in the corner of the room. On a side note, Kratos also saw that Forcystus was sulking in the biggest space he could find as far away from all the humans as possible. Kratos pinched the bridge of his nose. This was not going to be a good experience. He just wanted to go back to slipping the Chosen's group clues and forge the ring of the pact, and then they could be finished with all of this nonsense. As usual, something managed to mess up his plans.

"KRATOS AURION" a mechanical voice sounded from the single wooden door across the room. Everyone's talk quieted down somewhat and it opened halfway. Tabatha, the surrogate doll stepped forward and beckoned him in the other room. He narrowed his eyes, but made no move to enter.

"SIR KRATOS, YOU ARE THE FIRST TO SEE THE PSYCHIATRIST." Kratos sighed; looking around the room he figured whoever was in the next one over must be more pleasant company. He never much liked crowds to begin with, not to mention ones filled with children. He followed the green haired automaton through the doorway.

"Have a seat, Kratos." An agonizingly familiar voice sounded from inside. _Yuan_. Kratos grimaced ever so slightly, not that anyone but Yuan would notice such a thing. The room was small, bland in just enough ways to contrast with the loud orange reception area. Kratos sat uncomfortably in a single cushioned chair across from Yuan. Yuan himself sat very poised in a similar chair with uncharacteristic glasses balanced on his nose. He held a clipboard and a pencil that was sharpened to such a tip that Kratos imagined he could seriously maim someone with it.

"Now, I'm not exactly sure what's going on, but I've been given the impression that I can fail you if you don't comply with the session in the greatest capacity possible. If that happens, you have to sit out in the waiting room until I finish with everyone else before going again." Yuan informed him while not looking up from his clipboard. "I can also recommend you for rehabilitation in the nearest asylum if your results are- ahm, less than fantastic." Yuan finished with an almost sadistic gleam in his eyes. This was going to be oh so much fun. He was an expert in manipulation, and now they were _required_ to dump their secrets on him.

Kratos didn't respond, but Yuan could feel the famous Aurion glare of death being targeted at him. Tactfully, he looked up and managed a smile. Kratos scowled, Yuan had become near immune to his glares several thousand years ago. He'd need to add more venom if he wanted the half-elf to be afraid.

"Let's start by analyzing your current outlook on life." Yuan cocked his head to the side.

"What do you mean?" Kratos inquired reluctantly. Yuan egged the reaction on.

"Are you happy to be alive? Do you enjoy your daily activities?" Kratos blinked. Yuan couldn't be serious about that. Didn't he know him?

"No." Kratos responded bluntly. Yuan scribbled something on his clipboard.

"Mmhm. And why is that?" Yuan made eye contact again. Kratos was already getting pissed at the patronizing tone Yuan was employing, yet he really didn't want to go back into the room of children.

"I work for Cruxis." Kratos decided to implement the shortest sentences possible. Brevity would be his best option.

"If you didn't feel fulfilled in Cruxis, you could always quit." Yuan noted while scribbling some more on his clipboard. Kratos rolled his eyes.

"No, I _can't_." He almost spat, "I need to help Lloyd and the others forge the ring of the pact. I need to be in Cruxis to get the materials." Yuan nodded his head understandingly.

"So you feel forced to do things because your former friends are incapable of doing it themselves."

"Yes, that about sums it up." Kratos tried another glare on Yuan, but it was ineffective. Yuan jotted down '_Susceptible to peer pressure_' under Kratos' name. Peering at some information in a recent report, Yuan took another wary glance at Kratos. The man looked very uncomfortable and annoyed.

"It says here that you brutally murdered the Grand Cardinal Kvar while yelling at him to quote 'Burn in Hell'?" This worried Yuan greatly. Kratos averted his gaze and cleared his throat.

"Well, yes." He admitted sullenly. Yuan gaped at him. Kratos losing his cool could only mean that he was under a severe amount of stress. This was very extreme.

"Can I ask why?" Yuan was still incredulous. Kratos now stood up angrily.

"He forced me to kill my wife!" He roared at Yuan. Yuan didn't even flinch. Instead he wrote several notes in a recommendation for anger management classes. Making eye contact yet again, his spectacles flashed.

"And how did that make you feel?" Yuan asked innocently. Kratos' left eye twitched. He sat back down and didn't respond. Yuan prodded further, "Kratos?" He looked back up at him and scowled furiously.

"How would it make you feel?" He shot back coarsely. Yuan shook his head and added several more notes, among them '_uncooperative_' and '_antisocial_'. Kratos didn't respond to any more of his questions, other than to periodically insult him, so Yuan decided to dismiss him.

* * *

Lloyd sat relatively quietly on the sofa. He had gotten bored about a half hour ago, and his eyelids would have drifted shut much earlier if it hadn't been for the incensed yelling in the other room. Everyone was much quieter in an attempt to overhear Kratos' session, but all that made through were angry voices. Eventually, Kratos stormed out of the room and barreled through the small crowd of teenagers that had pressed their ears to the door. He marched out of the waiting area fuming and Lloyd couldn't help but be surprised. It took a lot of doing to get Kratos _that_ mad.

"LLOYD IRVING" Tabatha called out from the door that Kratos had left flapping on its hinges. Lloyd stood with renewed interest and bounded into the room.

"Yes?" He responded with excitement. He wondered who the psychiatrist was, and he'd never even heard of one before. What did they even do?

"Well, you seem excited." Yuan noted and jotted something down.

"Yuan?" Lloyd visibly slumped and plopped down in the seat. Yuan twitched, possibly a delayed reaction from Kratos' session.

"What? Am I not good enough for you?" He crossed his arms. He forgot how easily Lloyd shifted moods. Uncrossing his arms he scribbled '_possibly bi-polar_' under Lloyd's profile.

"Ah, well, I just expected someone more interesting." Lloyd sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. Yuan broke the tip of his pencil on the '_r_' in '_polar_'. Interesting? He was as interesting as they got! Aside from being an expert in magic, magitechnology, and all things Cruxis, Yuan was also over four thousand years old, a Seraphim, and secret Renegade leader. He was an enigma, a powerful half-elf with a powerful Cruxis Crystal. And he wore a cape and had blue hair. He was _interesting_, goddammit! Yuan scratched out the '_possibly_' in '_possibly bi-polar_'. The kid had to have a disorder if he didn't find Yuan interesting.

"So, uh, Lloyd, how are you feeling lately?" Yuan did his best to maintain a civil manner. Lloyd shifted awkwardly in his seat. It was so weird talking to Yuan like this.

"Hm, good I guess?" Lloyd spoke like it was the question rather than the response, "Say, why do you wear a cape?" He now focused on the black garment attached to Yuan's collar. Yuan blinked at Lloyd's shift in focus. He wrote '_ADHD_' and starred it twice before responding.

"I like capes; they're mysterious and useful to repel rain." Yuan answered. Lloyd's eyebrows raised, and his expression lit up as if he had just been taught String Theory and consequently had an epiphany.

"I think I get it, like Kratos!" Lloyd jauntily leaned back in his chair as if such an observation was worthy of praise. Yuan sweat dropped and steeled himself before asking the next question.

"Lloyd? Kratos doesn't repel rain." Yuan momentarily forgot his clipboard in worry. If the worlds' savior was this boy, he might want things to stay the way they were, lest they get worse. Lloyd was not deterred however.

"Sure he does, he also repels people, enemies especially, conversation, animals except for Noishe, and tomatoes! He's just like a cape, only better." Lloyd decided, counting off the things that Kratos repelled on his fingers. Yuan was stumped for a reply. A low IQ was nothing to put on a psychological profile.

"I suppose he does repel tomatoes." Yuan admitted quietly before his watch went off. Lloyd's time was up. In a sigh of relief, he forced a smile to his lips. "Thank you for your time, Lloyd. You may leave now." Yuan dropped his head in his hands. The things he had to deal with, why did he get _this_ job?

* * *

Mithos waltzed into the room like he owned it. Yuan glanced up in surprise. Tabatha sat in the corner without having moved.

"Mithos, I hadn't called you yet." Yuan observed dryly. Mithos, currently a small boy, hmphed and plopped in the chair.

"I've been waiting all this time. You can talk to me next so I can leave." Mithos brushed nonexistent dust off of his white outfit. Yuan rolled his eyes, but he was going to call Mithos in next anyway, so he might as well go with it.

"What kind of feelings are you experiencing right now?" Yuan asked cautiously.

"Annoyance, mostly." Mithos shrugged while examining his fingernails. This was progress for Mithos, Yuan thought with optimism. He bravely plodded on.

"And why are you annoyed, Mithos?" Yuan wanted to get to the core of the issue.

"I'm stuck here with a bunch of insignificants while I could be reviving my dead sister." Yuan nodded kindly while Mithos gripped the arms of the chair. Mithos _really_ had stuff to be doing. As an added annoyance, that automaton doll Tabatha was simply lolling about in the corner. It looked so much like his sister, it made Mithos want to puke.

"Can you remove that _thing_?" Mithos gestured harshly towards the mechanical girl. Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"Why would I request Tabatha to leave?" While asking the question he scribbled '_Post Traumatic Stress Disorder_' in Mithos' profile. The kid balled his fists as menacingly as a twelve-year-old could. Yuan was waiting for him to switch forms, but the bout of fury subsided.

"You're my subordinate, so you should do as I say." He decided while crossing his arms. His fleeting moods shifted uncomfortably as he switched from personality to personality. At times he was the sweet boy Yuan and Kratos remembered from the Great Kharlan War, and at other times he was as deranged as possible and hell-bent on reviving a dead woman.

"Why do you insist on reviving a woman when others that have to deal with the same loss abundantly exist in this world?" Yuan narrowed his eyes. He couldn't help but be biased as the leader of the Renegades. Mithos didn't like his question, or his tone, or both. He stood angrily and transformed into his older form. Skin tight white clothing and pink wings materialized with his new form and his hair grew longer as well. Yuan almost wrote that he was gender confused, but decided he might leave that one out for the benefit of all parties involved. Mithos bared his teeth, now clearly Lord Yggdrasill instead.

"She was unfairly taken from us! She deserved to live longer, not in that disgusting time of war. Everything would be right in the world if she had lived!" Mithos shrieked angrily, though Yuan couldn't help but notice his wings flap furiously behind him. It looked quite comical, as if an overgrown fairy was throwing a tantrum. Yuan wrote '_Schizophrenic_' underneath Mithos' profile.

"You're free to go now!" He smiled the best he could while Mithos harrumphed loudly and brusquely drifted out of the room.

* * *

"Aren't you four thousand years old?" Raine asked leaning forward. Her eyes were wide as dinner plates and Yuan inwardly flinched. He had been warned of her obsession over all things ancient.

"Give or take," he sat back awkwardly in his chair. Raine jumped up and down, never having sat in the first place. She clapped her hands together.

"You must know all about the Great Kharlan War, and magitechnology, and all those _RUINS_! You have to tell me EVERYTHING!" Yuan kept to himself that he'd helped end the war with Kratos and Mithos and Martel, and he did know quite a bit about magitechnology. Not that he'd ever tell Raine. The woman was now poking about his desk, sifting through papers and grabbing books off of the shelves.

"Hey, that's none of your business!" he called as his timer went off. Raine darted out of the room with an armful of ancient texts. "Wait! Come back!" On second thought, she could keep the books. Yuan wanted that lady as far away from him as possible. At times she was remarkably sharp, but right now in her 'ruin mode' as the other children called it, she was a very dangerous person. Yuan let her go with the papers.

* * *

Zelos perked up when his name was called. He'd seen plenty of psychiatrists and by now he knew how to make each and every one of them tick. After dumping his own problems on a few of them back in Meltokio, he really just used the sessions to blow off some steam. This would be one such session.

Zelos entered the room, and to his delight, his psychiatrist and new source of entertainment was none other than Yuan. Yuan didn't look too happy to see him, but he did manage to pull off only a slightly pained smile.

"Yo!" Zelos called out jovially as he plopped in the chair, slinking down to splay his feet over the other armrest.

"Let's get started, then." Yuan was all business as he pushed up his thinly framed glasses. "How are you feeling, Zelos?" Zelos thought really hard about that, and for a moment Yuan thought he was going to give an honest answer. Not Zelos, of course not, he was built on facades.

"I really just want to murder someone." He said with a bright smile. Yuan wasn't fazed. He had been expecting such a thing.

"And why is that?" He humored him.

"You know, certain things just get to me. Like sneaky half-elves with blue ponytails for example. Oh, and capes, capes really just make me mad." Zelos casually responded, the smile on his face contrasting sharply with the insults he was dishing out. Yuan glared at him.

"Are you fooling around to hide your emotional conflict inside?" He tried to break through Zelos' barrier.

"You caught me," Zelos' right hand flew to his heart where it fluttered for a moment, "I'm actually trying to figure out which bothers me more, the hair or the cape." Yuan narrowed his eyes. Zelos was in dangerous territory.

"Who are you to ask about my hair?" Yuan retorted. Honestly, the man looked like a girl! If Zelos made him any angrier, he was going to get a long list of problems written in his file, true or not.

"I think it's the cape, for sure." Zelos decided with some finality. Yuan began heatedly scribbling under Zelos' file. '_Gender confused_', '_Death wish_', '_Lack of tact_', '_Excessive narcissism_' and many more were written at lightning speeds before Yuan started listing every disorder he knew. Zelos looked pleased at the state he'd sent the half-elf into and twiddled his thumbs.

"Can you write me down as a pyromaniac? I've always wanted to be classified as one." He spun a fireball between his fingers. Hopefully they'd all get copies of their profiles after the fact. Yuan humphed, and Zelos grinned as he saw Yuan scratch something out. Apparently he'd already written that one down, darn his stupid tongue. Yuan's watch went off.

"Go. Now." He pointed towards the door with his left hand while his right continued listing obscure disorders. He ended on Kleptomania with a concluding period.

* * *

Forcystus' interrogation was fairly straightforward, and Yuan would've passed him if it wasn't for his dreadful superiority complex. Yuan could not for the life of him, convince the man that half-elves weren't necessarily above humans. He was a half-elf too, and Forcystus accepted that, yet he kept going on about being a 'superior half-elf'. Did that make him higher than Yuan in his mind? Yuan couldn't tell, and he didn't want to force the issue when the teal-haired man kept clanging his cylindrical mana-weapon/appendage against the side of his chair. It was unsettling.

Sheena, on the other hand seemed fairly sane. It was a bit odd how much she talked about her dead pet, but other than a minor PTSD from her first attempt at a pact with Volt, she was almost normal. Yuan emphasized 'almost' because she was prone to violent retaliations whenever Zelos' name was brought up. Yuan understood that much, so he left out any rage issues in her profile. The Chosen of Tethe'alla was infuriating enough to cause that kind of reaction.

* * *

"Are you stupid or something?!" Genis crossed his arms across his chest. They were currently in a debate over whether or not a kendama was a toy or a weapon. "It's totally a weapon! I fight with it!"

"But you don't need a kendama to cast magic," Yuan pointed out thoughtfully, "so all you really do with it is toss and catch that rubber ball. It's a child's toy!" Yuan had never used a kendama, though admittedly he had learned the old fashioned way. He was just pressing the boy's buttons because he was bored stiff.

"It is not!" Genis retorted defensively. Yuan must be getting more irritated as the day went by, Genis figured. Lloyd had said that Yuan was perfectly nice when he went. Whatever. This man couldn't tell him he was crazy.

* * *

"And so, I've been naming _all_ of the puppies we run into!" Colette concluded happily. "There's Pepe, and Bob, and Billy, and-" She paused for a deep breath. Yuan stared at her wide-eyed as she just kept listing more and more dog names. He had yet to ask a single question. Yuan jotted down '_borderline Hyperthymia_' as a possibility for her overly bubbly personality. She continued on and on.

"And there was this time where we were spring cleaning and I just tripped into the-" Yuan was beginning to twitch sporadically. How could she be so happy all the time? He looked like he had an eye spasm by now. Glancing down at his watch, he almost pulled his hair out that there were five whole minutes left.

He hit the alarm button by roughly slamming it against the arm rest of his chair. Colette jumped at the soft beeping noise.

"Oh, I guess I'm done!" She skipped out of the room. Yuan sat twitching for the remaining five minutes.

* * *

Presea sat daintily in the large chair and Yuan initiated conversation.

"How are you today, Presea?" He asked cheerily, though after what he'd been through you'd wonder why he was so cheerful. Presea just looked at him.

"How is the journey going?" He tried again. Presea blinked and didn't say anything. Yuan sighed in exasperation.

"I've had it with you people. Zelos makes fun of me, Kratos spits insults, and Lloyd gets bored in two seconds! I have a job to do, and you people don't help at all!" He burst, feeling the weight on his chest lift as he vented. Presea kept the same expression.

"How am I supposed to get you all to open up to me? The authoress made a poor choice when she picked the person that plays all sides to be the psychiatrist, because that means _no one_ trusts me!" Something about Presea's blank eyes urged him to keep going.

"Honestly, not even Kratos! I was there when he got married! I was there when Lloyd was born! He used to confide in me! Now what? Nothing, it's like we were never friends!" Yuan threw his hands in the air.

"All Mithos wants to do is bring back my dead fiancée, and though I'd be all for that, he's taken it to a new extreme. It takes a new low to plan to stab him in the back, but what else am I supposed to do? I'm constantly worrying all the time about everything." Yuan checked his watch. Presea's time was up. He straightened his cape and ponytail.

"Ah, I suppose that's all, then. Thank you Presea, you may go." Presea nodded and stood up.

"Probability of Yuan having General Anxiety Disorder 78-84%." She walked out and Yuan blinked in disbelief. He _did _fit the symptoms...

* * *

Regal politely waited on a wooden stool. He didn't really know much about what was going on, but he was under the impression that they'd be talking about several uncomfortable subjects from all of the screaming that seemed to be going on.

"REGAL BRYANT" Tabatha called from the door. He stood up gratefully, beginning to think he had been forgotten. Somehow, the group was continually neglecting his presence as of late. Possibly due to his quiet demeanor, but they'd almost forgotten him at the last town. No one had bothered to look for him when he made a short trip to the market, and he was left playing catch up. Really, it didn't hurt to be courteous.

"Oh, Yuan. Pleased to see you again." He smiled slightly as Yuan gestured for him to take a seat. Yuan smiled in return. Finally someone with decent manners.

"Regal, how are you feeling today?" Yuan made eye contact with him. Regal's face darkened slightly.

"Ah, to be quite honest, not well." He shifted in the chair to accommodate his hand cuffs. They seemed heavier and heavier lately. Yuan noticed this slight discomfort and nodded for no other reason than to look like he was interested. He was so sick of talking to people today. He just wanted to go back to his base in Triet and relax. Paperwork was better than this, and that was making a statement. Hm, perhaps this _was_ better than paperwork. It was a close tie. He loathed deskwork with every fiber of his being. Caught up in his internal rant against the perils of being a rebel leader, Yuan noticed that Regal was tragically voicing his opinions.

"-anniversary of Alicia's death. It was my fault, I never should have let her-" Yuan tuned out again. He'd heard this story before, and Regal seemed ready to run his own one-sided conversation. He kept nodding and jotted down '_Major Depressive Disorder? after bereavement_'. The man was very melancholy every time Yuan met him, but he couldn't judge him solely on the day of his mourning. Hence the question mark. Deciding that Regal deserved a relatively clean slate, Yuan went back to his musings. This was definitely worse than paperwork. With paperwork, he could at least pretend he was working while doing whatever else he pleased. He just had to lock the door. This job required a greater attention span that Yuan was willing to put forth at the moment.

His watch went off. Holding up a hand, he sadly smiled back at Regal. Regal stopped mid-sob story.

"I'm sorry for your loss, but time is up. Have a nice day." Yuan cordially dismissed him and tossed his clipboard on the desk behind him. Everyone was finished for the day.

* * *

"What do you mean we failed!" Three fourths of the Symphonia gang glared maliciously at Yuan as he handed out the results. A select few passed, some barely, some simply didn't talk enough for Yuan to legitimately fail them. Whatever the case, further treatment was necessary.

"You'll have to go to rehabilitation." Yuan reported as kindly as possible. They all looked murderous.

"On second thought, I'm pretty sure you actually passed." He noticed Kratos sparking with electricity. Barring the other adversaries, Kratos was seriously scaring him at the moment. Yuan stammered on.

"You see, this is a working therapy. You just identify the problem yourself and power through it along the journey!" He lied as Zelos twirled his sword about and the others closed in. He was gravely outnumbered, even if he was a dexterous fighter. He turned tail and ran halfway to Triet before realizing he could pull out his rheiard. Yuan, despite being an angel, passed out in a weary slumber as soon as he reached his Renegade base.

* * *

**(A/N) Poor Yuan... oh well. I know the ending kinda sucked, sorry. Thanx for reading. Drop me a review or suggestion or whatever, it'd be appreciated!**


	9. Oblivion

**(A/N) No, I'm not dead... sorry about the long update, and I'm still working on The Great Kharlan War after a bout of WB, and I've been immensely busy. This is a fairly short shot, but clearly you guys like serious stuff better than my attempt at humor, so a scene after the final pact is made with Luna and Aska was my next idea. The Great Kharlan Tree is going berserk.**

**Disclaimer: Sorry. I don't own ToS, or the sequel (but I'm okay with that part, I prefer to pretend that the sequel never happened. You only see Kratos ONCE!)**

* * *

_**"Oblivion"**_

* * *

It was dark, so incredibly shadowy that I couldn't make out much of anything. I had no concept of time in the obscurity, though I got the distinct impression that I'd been there for ages. On the brink of consciousness, I was only awake enough to know that I wasn't truly awake, some state of limbo in between the real world and eternal nothingness. Occasionally I would get intense bursts of emotion, a vague idea that _something_ was going on outside of the darkness, but they would all fade too fast.

Then came the light.

Sudden and bright as if it was trying to convince me I was in its blinding embrace the entire time. The light was foreign to me. It danced in pure white bands across gnarled roots and branches that had remained hidden to me beforehand. Or perhaps I was recently transported here, I had no worldly idea of what was or is. My ears that had grown deaf with thick quiet were subject to crushing volumes of crackling ground and the cutting whistles of a vicious wind. I was all too aware now of my _selfness_. I had long forgotten about a humanoid figure that was my body, the limbs that were my arms and the appendages that were my feet.

The nerves were obviously not dead as I felt they were, for my body was painfully wrenched in the tightening grip of a grotesque branch I must've been perched near. I grew lightheaded with our rapid ascent and it felt as if I were being pulled apart in all directions. More tendrils of twisted branches curled themselves around my unmoving form and ripped at my joints with fiery jabs.

My forgotten fingers twitched in vain as I commanded my arms to move and tear free of my new prison. The muscles were weak and degraded, and by the time I had recovered my faculties the branch confines were impossibly thick. I writhed in the grasp of the wretched tree, and only then found the sight beneath me.

The landscape was devastated, knotted roots expanding and splitting through forests and towns. Huge unearthed ruts of soil were left like scars through the world below me. The contorted serpents of plant root continued to wreak havoc while I watched on. An entire village was slashed through like an anthill and the reach of the tree only expanded in to the horizon. I felt it rising behind me, branching in a growth spurt that held no bounds.

I realized it was beautiful in a twisted sort of way, complete and utter devastation. Nature in a pure and unyielding form destroying the ugly race that was civilization itself. I felt something cold, and entirely alien, slip down my cheek tracing a thin wet path that felt cool in the wind. I was crying. I had only been allowed to see the wonders of the world after it had been sentenced to oblivion.

I was forced to watch humanity die.

I felt the branches tugging at my restrained limbs with renewed intensity again, and the pain left me dizzy and black spots crowded my vision. A single strangled cry broke through my lifeless lips, aggravating vocal chords that I didn't remember I had. Then, I was silent.

* * *

The Chosen's party stared horror struck at the demonic travesty that was once the Great Kharlan tree. The Tower of Mana had long since collapsed in their wake, and they stood on the firm ground some distance away in silence.

"I was afraid this would happen." Kratos frowned with a rigid determination evident through his posture. He stood to the side of the others, never again to be a part of their group, at least in his mind.

A horrific woman's scream traveled across the void, filled with pain and terror. A slender figure was visible in the heart of the tree's mass of branches even at this distance. They were as close as they dared.

"That person." Colette murmured as unbidden tears flowed down her cheeks, "I feel like I've met her somewhere before." Her hands were clasped in a silent prayer.

"Martel!" Yuan recognized immediately to his utmost alarm. Lloyd shot Yuan an unmistakable look of surprise, quite a feat after the events that had just come to pass.

"The woman about to be consumed by the Great Tree is _Martel_?" Raine asked fearfully. None of them could break their gaze from the frightful creation. Kratos gauged their reactions. They clearly wouldn't have followed through if he had been able to inform them of the consequences of making the final pact. This could have been easily prevented.

"Having lost the stability afforded by the protection of the Summon Spirits, the Great Seed has gone out of control." The guilt etched into Lloyd's face swiftly surpassed the realization of Kratos' words. This was their entire fault. Sylvarant was being consumed by his own naive ideology.

* * *

**(A/N) Drop me a review and tell me watcha thought! Suggestions are welcome, I'm running dry on good ideas and I'll seriously make something out of anything... Thanx for reading! XD**

**P.S. Name of this chap came from 30 Seconds to Mars' song 'Oblivion'...my inspiration.**


	10. Eyes Trained on the Heavens

**(A/N) So I got the Great Kharlan War updated, and as a reward, allowed myself to write another one-shot! I just have an obsession with Kratos and Lloyd's father-son relationship, so prepare for serious Oyako fluff. Inspiration thanks to Aoka-Chan's "A Father's Memories"...!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned ToS, more scenes would be like this one...XP**

* * *

_**"Eyes Trained on the Heavens"**_

* * *

"Oi, Kratos!" Lloyd called, cupping both hands around his mouth to get the mercenary's attention. Kratos turned to face the red clad swordsman with his usual unreadable expression firmly in place.

"What is it, Lloyd?" He patiently waited for Lloyd and Genis to catch up.

"I was- er," Lloyd stammered and Genis grinned as if he had won some sort of bet. Kratos raised an eyebrow, clearly not amused with Lloyd's uncanny ability to take up his time saying nothing at all.

"What's a gravity constant?" Lloyd looked hopelessly lost. Genis' grin grew wider. Kratos was about to brush the boy off like usual, but something about his sincerity compelled Kratos to answer this time. He sighed, knowing where this had come up. The assassin on Ossa Trail had elicited a string of estimations from Genis just to understand that she hadn't died. Completely unnecessary, if Kratos had anything to say about it. Pinching the bridge of his nose at Lloyd's slow mental workings, he wondered how his son had gone through so much schooling and learned so little.

"It's the empirical physical constant involved in the calculations of the gravitational force between two bodies." Kratos deadpanned, and Genis' smile dropped. He'd hoped Lloyd would've gotten in trouble. Lloyd's face lit up.

"I don't really understand that at all, but I win!" He turned to Genis triumphantly. Genis crossed his arms and spun on his heel. Turning his nose up in the air, he scoffed.

"But he never answers your questions!" He whined, yet reached into his pocket and forked up the Gald anyway. Kratos scowled. So it was a bet, then. He kept walking. Lloyd evidently did not pick up on his disapproval, and fell into step with him.

"You're really smart, Kratos!" He observed, awestruck. He hadn't understood a word of all that technical stuff, but it sounded scientific.

"Hn," Kratos muttered, "I've been around a while and picked up a few things." Understatement of the year, he thought wryly to himself. Lloyd wasn't deterred by the vagueness, in fact that seemed to egg him on. Kratos was fast becoming his idol in everything. Kratos could best anyone with a sword, operate machinery, lead the group, diagnose medical problems, cast magic, navigate maps, and so much more. Lloyd didn't think that was the breadth of his skills either, and he never bragged on them. Lloyd wanted to grow stronger and be like him, so he could protect the group as well as Kratos could.

"What kind of things?" He kept the man of few words talking. He never said much about himself, and Lloyd had no clue what else he had up his sleeve.

"All sorts." Kratos wasn't sharing, apparently. From that moment on, Lloyd had decided to consult Kratos on everything and learn everything he knew. Unfortunately for the mercenary, that meant tailing him around and sticking to him like glue throughout the journey.

* * *

"Kratos, where does rain come from?" The group was waiting in under the overhang of a cave while the harsh downpour dumped bucket after bucket of water on the lush vegetation. A flash of lightning was quickly followed by the metallic rolling of thunder and the slow trickle of dripping water flowed into puddles on the hard bedrock floor. The mercenary was long silent while Lloyd's gaze was trained on him. So long, in fact that Raine opened her mouth to answer, thinking he would ignore the boy as was his custom. To her surprise, though, Kratos broke the silence and spoke calmly.

"You see, when water on the land gets hot from the sun, it turns into a gas." Lloyd nodded raptly in concentration on Kratos' every word. Raine gaped at the attentiveness of her laziest student, and Kratos wasn't even _trying_ to force the information down Lloyd's throat. Lloyd himself had asked.

"The water vapor then rises, because hotter air will move upward where it then cools in the higher atmosphere," Kratos continued, unperturbed by Lloyd's intense absorption.

"Why is that?" Lloyd interjected. Kratos broke his watch of the pouring rain, and looked at the focused teenager.

"Why is what?" He asked, now a bit shocked at Lloyd's newfound commitment to learning.

"Why does hot air rise?" Lloyd cocked his head to the side. Kratos allowed himself to feel slightly pleased at his son's desire to improve.

"Well, hot air has more energy." Lloyd went back to nodding profusely. It seemed Kratos had to break it down to the simplest components, but he was strangely fine with the slow explanation. "Molecules with more energy move faster, so the particles naturally spread out and find the path of least resistance. That's called diffusion, and hot particles diffuse upward because down low there are plenty of other molecules that are slower with less energy taking up space. To keep moving quickly, they need more space, so they go up. It's a natural principle that heat rises." A light seemed to light up behind Lloyd's eyes, and Kratos saw he was getting somewhere.

"I understand!" Lloyd had a smile on his face, and turned to Raine. "Professor, I get it now!" Raine found his smile contagious. Amazing. Lloyd was actually interested in learning something. Though she was admittedly jealous that he refused to learn it from her, progress was progress. Lloyd refocused and spun back to Kratos, who had both eyebrows raised. That was as surprised as Kratos ever got. What had happened to the real Lloyd?

"So the hot water molecules rise and then get cold again, and then turn back into water?" Lloyd asked while peering up at the dark and menacing rain clouds. Kratos let his face become blank again.

"Very good," Lloyd beamed at the praise, "After the water molecules start to stick together as 'condensation' they eventually get heavy enough and fall down to the ground as rain drops." Lloyd reached out from under the stone overhang and let the rain splatter violently in his open palm. He brought his hand back under and looked at the water droplets with wonder. Who knew how far this one drop of liquid had traveled just to fall into his hand? He leaned back on his elbows next to Kratos while avidly watching the downpour. It was amazing.

"Thanks, Kratos." Lloyd let the information circulate through his head in silent contemplation. Kratos knew everything, it seemed.

* * *

Lloyd had just rolled out his blanket to fall asleep next to the fire, but quickly realized that Kratos was nowhere to be found. Where had he gone? Lloyd stood up and stepped over a snoring Genis. Raine was cleaning the pot they had used to cook their dinner and noticed Lloyd's stirring.

"Lloyd, aren't you going to go to sleep?" Lloyd stopped and turned to face her. "We have a big day tomorrow with the next Seal, you need your rest." Colette was already snugly bundled up in her own blanket, to ward off the night chill that seeped into one's bones if they stepped too far from the fire. The barren and grassy plains they had stopped to camp in for the night were nice to easily spot attackers, yet the flatness of the land also allowed a sharp wind to rip across it uninterrupted.

"Yea, I was just going to find Kratos before bed." Lloyd rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. It sounded silly when he said it like that. Raine frowned a bit, but nodded. Lloyd was growing so attached to Kratos, which in itself wasn't a bad thing. Was she envious that Lloyd idolized such a mysterious traveler? Or was it that Kratos was replacing her as teacher in his life? She just felt unsure about the entire arrangement. Lloyd walked off into the taller grass around the campsite.

He soon found the swordsman several yards away lying on his back in the brittle grass. He was gazing at the brilliantly lit stars some distance from the distracting flicker of the camp fire. Arms behind his head, he looked more at peace than Lloyd had ever seen him.

"Kratos?" The man made no motion that he noticed him, but Lloyd knew that in itself was a form of acknowledgement. If Kratos really didn't know he was there, he'd have a sword at his throat like in Triet.

"Hn," was the eventual response. Lloyd saw that as his version of an invitation and plopped in the grass next to him mimicking his pose exactly. Looking up at the stars, Lloyd was struck with the beauty of it.

"What are you thinking?" He asked after a long silence. He'd long since overcome his initial shyness of asking Kratos questions. The only things he tended to leave unanswered were intensely personal or past-related, but anything else he was almost content with answering. It had become a sort of habit between them.

"Many things." Kratos always made him ask something specific, which in itself made Lloyd think more before he spoke.

"How many are there?" Lloyd's eyes darted over the twinkling specks in an attempt to estimate. The closer he looked, though, the more faint specks he noticed, and he became so preoccupied with a tiny square of the sky that he gave up estimating entirely. There were too many.

"Well, that's a relative question." Kratos stated simply. "How many of them can you see? There are too many to count in a lifetime. How many can you not see? Infinitely more. Some of them you can see, but they're not actually there." At this Lloyd gave him a questioning glance. Not there? How could he see a star that didn't exist?

"Light travels incredibly fast." He started evenly, "But it doesn't meet your eye instantaneously. It can travel vast distances in short amounts of time, but the farther away it comes from, the longer it takes to get here. The distance light travels in a year is simply called a light year." Lloyd nodded. That made sense.

"So, say a star is giving off light one light year away from Sylvarant." Kratos speculated. "It would take one year for its light to reach your eyes. The light you're seeing was made one year ago." Lloyd's eye widened.

"So I'd be seeing into the past? All of that light happened a long time ago?" Kratos nodded and the corner of his mouth quirked up in a half-smile. It was so dark, Lloyd couldn't see his face though, just the silhouette of his spiky hair in profile.

"So say the star died and ran out of energy just recently, and stopped shining." Kratos continued. Lloyd eagerly finished the hanging sentence.

"I'd see the light of a star that isn't there!" Wow. That was something to think about. He looked back up at the sky with newfound interest. Kratos always found a way to make him see things differently. What he was seeing could have happened hundreds of years ago, the bright ones could be dimmed, and whole histories were mapped out across the night heavens.

"How do you know so much?" he asked after some silent star gazing. Kratos' knowledge never ceased to amaze him.

"I've been around a while and picked up a few things." It was his answer every time Lloyd asked. Somehow it was enough to quench the boy's curiosity, or he just didn't push further. He settled deeper into the grass next to Kratos.

"This feels familiar." He found that nagging sensation in his memory. It was like a case of déjà vu. Kratos' stillness wasn't a cold one, and Lloyd carried on with his train of thought. "I don't remember much of my actual dad, but I think we used to do something like this." He could never picture his father's face, but he recalled being hoisted onto strong shoulders late at night and taking in the beautifully luminous orbs. It was like this. Silent contemplation, even when he was a small boy, but something was invariably comfortable about the memory. Lloyd watched Kratos out of the corner of his eye. The man was a solid and reassuring presence, venerable in his skill and knowledge. Lloyd imagined his father was something like this. Someone that would take the time to explain the wonders of the world to him. He knew he would probably never find his blood-father, or learn what happened to him. But this, this was okay.

Lloyd would be just as happy if every day was like this one.

"Your parents must've been stargazers, then." Kratos said softly, the softest Lloyd had ever heard him speak.

"Yea." Lloyd smiled. "I bet they were." And despite telling Raine that he would return to the fire, Lloyd fell asleep while lying in the grass next to Kratos. His eyes could no longer maintain the energy to continue peering up at the stars, though he'd like nothing better than to make that moment last forever.

* * *

**(A/N) Uh. So fluffy... usually I write more angsty stuff, but hey, I'll do the occasional sweet piece. Please drop me a review and tell me whatcha thought! I'm actually pretty pleased with this one... Recommendations for future shots would be appreciated!**


	11. Origin

**(A/N) Hey guys! I know I haven't updated this one in a while- in my defense they're just drabbles. So I think I can get away with just writing when I feel like it, right? Anyway I got Ch 12 of the Great Kharlan War out, so I took a break from that one. I was playing ToS with my friend this weekend and had the inspiration to write the tragic scene where Kratos releases Origin. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything really, 'cept this computer, so don't sue me!**

* * *

_**"Origin"**_

* * *

Yuan watched mutely from the shadows as Kratos faced his son. His old friend's face was grim and emotionless, just like the blank mask he'd been wearing since Anna died. This time it was different, though. Yuan could tell only because he'd known the man so long. The longing in those russet eyes was tangible, and Yuan saw so much more in each spark now than he had in four thousand years. The false hope he had was so sharply cutting in comparison to the harsh resignation he'd had when nothing was worth living for. It seemed Kratos was stubborn until the end. He never wanted Lloyd to see how much this act alone was killing him. The fight was going to end him.

The facade was breaking bit by bit as the battle commenced. If Kratos' grimace was anything to go by, it would be over soon. A man could only fight his son so many times before he broke. Lloyd fought furiously, angrily, each slash with more energy than Kratos could muster.

Though only a practiced eye could see, Yuan knew Kratos was holding back. He'd already committed to losing. Lloyd couldn't see that, but if Kratos had his way Lloyd would never know anyway. Kratos had passed on the opportunity for several kill-strikes, even maiming ones, though he had masked it well.

Unreadable as ever, Yuan felt a pain in his heart for his old friend. This was what Yuan had asked for, fought for, and played god-awful tricks for.

And now he couldn't wish for anything but to stop it.

The intense fighting had ceased before him, and his gaze was drawn to a battered long sword. Kratos' sword was tip down into the hard packed soil, a sort of broken symbol behind its owner. Lloyd's right blade pointed stiffly at Kratos' neck. The man had his head down in a crouch, thick auburn locks obscuring his face. Waiting for the inevitable, utterly defeated.

Yuan's breath caught, and he leaned forward. He didn't care how far he'd gone to reach these ends. It wasn't worth it to kill his best friend.

Never like this.

Yuan was saved the trouble of interfering. Lloyd let his blade tip slip down and rest in the dirt. Now Kratos glanced up to meet his son's eyes. The fiery spark Yuan thought was gone ignited once more. His russet eyes flashed with hidden reserves of strength. The weakness in Lloyd's own reddish orbs brought a new defense mechanism forward: defiant acceptance.

"Finish it." He managed to put so much power into so few words, Lloyd was silent for a moment, apparently undecided.

"I've defeated Kratos, the angel of Cruxis, the traitor, and the liar." Kratos eyes drifted back towards the ground, guilt-ridden but nevertheless satisfied. "-and I forgive Kratos, the mercenary, the one that helped us, the one that looked out for us -er and me." Kratos should've looked as if a weight was lifted from his shoulders, but instead a solemn determination passed over his features.

"You're still too soft-hearted," he murmured so quietly that Yuan barely heard him speak with such a melancholy fondness. He stood to his full height and turned his back on his son, taking slow, measured steps to the seal. Lloyd took half a step forward, hands clenched with urgency.

"Da- Kratos! What are you doing!?" His panicked expression told Yuan he wouldn't be the only one hurt if Kratos followed through. Everyone heard the unspoken reminder of forgiveness. Lloyd was giving Kratos something to live for- to hope for. Kratos wavered in his pace at Lloyd's slip of the tongue, but continued persistently in a determined stride until he reached the stone.

"It's what you all desire, isn't it? Origin must be released." He tugged his beaten sword effortlessly from the dirt and held it before him.

"There has to be another way! A path where you don't have to die!" Lloyd was taking steps to him, to stop him.

"This whole journey was about not sacrificing one person for the world! There's something we can do- there has to be!" Lloyd was yelling now, feverishly adamant. Kratos merely shook his head in resignation.

"There is no other way." He shut his eyes and the mana began to pour out of his body. Yuan stared in an awestruck daze. This ironic end couldn't be the case. Kratos forever the fatalist, Lloyd the idealist. The life-giving aura of mana surrounded Kratos, giving him an ethereal effect. His hair rippled up in choppy waves as the magic began to intensify. His aqua seraphim wings had activated behind him as a final reminder of what he despised. The air was thick with the power he was exuding, the forbidding mana signature slipping into nothing. His body was draining itself, on willpower alone. Blood began to drip down his forehead, and the corner of his mouth as well. Yuan could sense his hold on life weakening.

Lloyd stood horror-struck, but without a way to stop it, and the other members of the party stood in respectful awe. None could tear their eyes away from the dying man. Yuan felt the old part of him shatter. This was the death of a legend, a stubborn soul, a tortured heart that was truly selfless. Kratos had lived first as a leader, a teacher, a friend, loyal to a fault, then a husband, a father, and a guardian. Always from a distance, but never receiving what he deserved without it being cruelly yanked out of reach. If only Lloyd knew what losing him had done to the man- what it was still doing.

It was perhaps the hardest thing for Kratos to do. Abandoning his son a second time. The first time it was unknowingly, and it broke him to a point where repair seemed impossible. Dying would've been easy then, Yuan had seen him very close to committing suicide in the months following Anna's death. The only thing anchoring him was his obligation to Mithos, when he thought he'd failed him as a teacher. Now must be so much harder for Kratos. Fate was cruel, tantalizing him with a future. A future with his son, the remnant of his broken dreams. The future that could never exist. Yuan felt a tear slip down his cheek. He was giving up his life and his dreams for Lloyd. In his own stubborn and unspoken way. Yuan could only hope Lloyd understood.

Kratos was drenched in blood by now, the mana in his body depleted completely. He let the sword fall heavily to the ground, mana wings dissipated as there was no longer any mana to sustain them. Yuan felt him fading, and his body fell backwards.

Yuan had been watching so intently that his legs moved like lightning on their own. He caught his ancient friend, perhaps his only true friend, before he hit the ground. Focusing his mana onto a single point in his hand, Yuan frantically urged it to flow into Kratos' body. He couldn't lose him now, not here. The timing was perfect- as it had to be. Just as the last drops of Kratos' energy left, Yuan managed to transfer some of his own. It was so close, Yuan was visibly shaken.

"I've given him some of my mana," he informed Lloyd and the others without breaking his gaze from Kratos' pale complexion streaked with crimson.

Lloyd approached cautiously, as if afraid to know the terrible truth of the outcome. Kratos' eyelids fluttered before opening tiredly.

"It seems I failed to die once again." Without the energy to cover his emotion, the remorse was so thick that Lloyd visibly flinched.

"How can you say that?!" Lloyd was shaking with fury, as if to say 'how dare he leave again', "There's no purpose in dying. You wouldn't accomplish anything! You live until you die, and then that's _it_. Dying before you need to is just a waste!" Lloyd seethed, anger only betrayed by the concern and relief in his eyes. Kratos met his gaze weakly.

"I suppose you're right. To be taught such a lesson by my own son, it was foolish of me." He shut his eyes briefly, a sigh escaping his lips. Lloyd relaxed at the man's acceptance. Origin was released, and Kratos was still alive.

He'd live to die another day.

* * *

**(A/N) I just love this scene. Anyways, please review and thanx for reading!**


	12. Father's Day

**(A/N) Hey guys! I know it's been a while... and for those of you waiting on The Great Kharlan War, it's coming- just a bit behind schedule. I decided I wanted to do a Father's Day oneshot in honor of Kratos and Lloyd. Really, they deserve a Father's Day together. Prepare for fluff.**

**Disclaimer: I'm not CEO of NAMCO, but I'll work on it... then I ****_will _****own Kratos and Lloyd. For now, don't sue please, I make no profit.**

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_**Father's Day**_

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Asgard was a flourishing city- bustling and prosperous in its exploits. Despite the upbeat pace of the town, Lloyd felt a lingering heaviness in his gut. All the townspeople were so cheerful and happy; it was really a beautiful thing. Or it should have been. Lloyd had always been one to please, and optimism on such a large scale while Sylvarant was still declining should have made him happy. Somehow he felt left out, though. He couldn't place the precise feeling until he saw a small boy dragging his dad around by the hand from shop to shop.

It was Father's Day.

Father's Day had been a human holiday for centuries- the elves and the dwarves didn't celebrate it, so Lloyd never knew too much about it. He remembered the past year when they made gifts at school for their parent figure. Raine had thought it would be a good idea after several students requested time, and Lloyd had constructed a rather clumsy card. Dirk had accepted his poorly crafted gift, yet was so pleased that he announced they were to celebrate Father's Day every year. That was the only one, and now he was missing it.

Lloyd was ashamed to note that jealousy was welling up in his chest at the thought of all the Father's Day's he'd missed. The little boy still towing his father's wrist tripped and giggled in delight when the man behind caught him from falling. Lloyd loved Dirk as much as possible, and he was so grateful and proud to have him in his life. But Dirk was distant sometimes; Lloyd could tell he was unsure of himself. The affection of dwarves translated differently at times, but the biggest obstacle was that Dirk backed off often- as if in fear of rejection. He knew he was not Lloyd's birth father, and somehow that must have gotten to him. As if by virtue of blood alone Lloyd could snap their father-son bond. Thinking about Dirk's caution brought Lloyd into a melancholy trance.

Lloyd felt at fault with his self-pitying musings. It was completely unfair of him to want more from Dirk than he had already given. Lloyd felt guilt-ridden with the thought that Dirk wasn't enough- because he _was_. In fact, he deserved so much more. He deserved Lloyd being there on Father's Day to drag him by the hand and give him gifts.

But Lloyd was haunted by what-ifs. He was torn by the idea that he could've spent every single Father's Day with his human father- and mother- if it were not for the Desians. His heart ached as if it wanted to wrench itself in two instead of giving it all to one father. What was his birth father like? Lloyd only remembered sitting on strong shoulders and a sky full of glittering jewels. He yearned to remember a face, a silhouette, or something more. Like his mother had short brown hair and a beautiful laugh. Why couldn't he recall something of the sort for his father?

Lloyd hated the feeling that he was sulking. He looked around at his traveling companions. They were returning to the hotel to rest after the disappointing fake seal. Colette was avidly describing to Genis how she was making bracelets for both of her fathers as a surprise. The thought of Remiel wearing a homemade pink bangle cheered Lloyd up considerably. He shouldn't be wading in abandon. The Professor and Genis didn't know who their father was either. Lloyd wasn't alone in that regard. The date didn't seem to affect Raine and Genis at all, as they were full-blooded elves*. They also always had each other.

Lloyd turned his attention to Kratos. While the elven siblings appeared to be listening to Colette, Kratos lagged behind them. His eyebrows were furrowed as if he was deep in thought. Lloyd wondered if Kratos was pondering about his father, too.

"Hey Kratos?" Lloyd asked tentatively. The mercenary broke from his reflections and met gazes with Lloyd.

"Yes?" His voice was devoid of emotion as always.

"Were you thinking about your dad?" Lloyd hoped the swordsman hadn't heard the longing nostalgia in his voice. Kratos looked slightly taken aback, but his russet gaze wasn't as intense as usual; in fact, it seemed to have softened.

"No, actually." Lloyd figured that was all he was going to get when Kratos continued, "He died when I was very young, I don't remember him much." His words were weighty and almost sad- for Kratos, that is- and Lloyd fell into stride alongside him.

"I'm sorry." Lloyd hadn't meant to ask such a personal question, or maybe he had. He didn't really know much of anything about the man beside him. "You're like me, then." It was wrong, but Lloyd found some solace in that. However, the mercenary looked sullen at Lloyd's observation and he tried to find a way to change the subject.

"What were you thinking about?" Kratos now looked severely uncomfortable, and Lloyd recognized his mistake, "Sorry, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to." Lloyd spotted the same longing in Kratos' wine-colored eyes that must be mirrored in his own. Then, the man's features blanked as he reigned in his expression again. He had obviously come to some kind of conclusion with his inner turmoil- if that's what that was.

"No, it's fine. I was-" he paused slightly as the words formed, "I was thinking about my son." Lloyd's eyes went as wide as dinner plates and he stopped in his tracks.

"You have a son?" He couldn't help but sound incredulous. The enigmatic, cold, calculating loner had a family. Lloyd wouldn't have pegged him as the family type.

"_Had_" Kratos corrected softly. He hadn't stopped walking and Lloyd trotted to catch back up. What did he mean by _had_? Someone couldn't have had a son and then stopped unless- understanding dawned on him. Lloyd suddenly felt awful for prying. Now Kratos' frosty exterior made sense.

"How?" Lloyd asked weakly.

"Desians." Kratos replied grimly, jaw set and eyes smoldering, "They murdered my wife and son many years ago." Lloyd felt hatred bubble up inside him. How dare they shatter another family?

"Sorry." Lloyd apologized again. Kratos had nearly the same life story as him, with the exception of reversed roles. And Kratos was never taken in by anyone like Lloyd was.

The group had finally reached their hotel, one of the cheaper establishments in Asgard, but still rather homely and cozy. Lloyd was prepared to turn in for the night. He wasn't feeling up for watching others exchange gifts in the village, and he didn't want to come across as moping either. Despite this, he wasn't very tired. Upon checking in, Kratos tapped him on the shoulder.

"Would you like to come train with me?" he inquired tonelessly, face as emotionless as ever. Lloyd was both surprised and grateful for the offer. He nodded confirmation and followed the mercenary along the stony pathways until they reached the outskirts of the city. A rocky clearing lay secluded by a rise of boulders and perfect for training.

"Wow, I didn't even know this was here!" Lloyd exclaimed lightly. Really, the entire city of Asgard was carved into the cliffs of the region, it didn't leave much space for anything else. Kratos shrugged.

"I've traveled here many times, and frequently use this location to train." Kratos had been everywhere it seemed. He knew the secrets of each town they traveled to. Kratos slid his long blade out of the leather sheath and twisted it effortlessly to point at Lloyd. Lloyd didn't need to be asked twice, drawing his own swords to duel.

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Lloyd's breath caught as his right blade was jarringly blocked mid-strike. Ricocheting backwards, he was thrown off balance and met with a cold metallic touch against his throat. He gasped in much needed oxygen as Kratos was, once again, unfazed by his offensive attempts.

"This time your strikes were sloppy and disorganized. They were your own downfall. A good swordsman can use his adversary's power against him." Lloyd nodded slightly, still catching his breath. "Only strike like that if you're prepared to block with your left. It would do well for you to lean forward as well so as to avoid falling."

"Thanks, Kratos." Lloyd panted, tiredly getting into his battle stance yet again. Kratos appeared to take notice of the state Lloyd was in and sheathed his weapon.

"You're tired; perhaps we should take a rest." Lloyd proceeded to collapse on the cool stone, dropping his swords with a sharp clatter.

"Good idea." Lloyd muttered as he got comfortable.

Night was approaching, and the dim twilight of evening sent wisps of a breeze across his aching muscles. Lloyd folded his arms behind his head, pleased to observe Kratos sit on a boulder to his left. Lloyd liked to think that he was maybe a _little_ bit tired after that particular round of fighting. Directing his eyes upward, the sky was a brilliantly crisp blue, sharp and painted with light trails of thin clouds. The sun was setting somewhere behind the rocky hills. Lloyd sighed softly and let his eyes drift close.

He was content.

"Kratos?" Lloyd asked curiously. The silence was comfortable, but when they were alone like this, Lloyd could ask him things he might not with the group.

"Hn." the acknowledgement was all Lloyd needed to keep going.

"Dirk didn't really celebrate it, but what do people usually do on Father's Day?" From what he'd seen everyone was simply frolicking around town. Lloyd turned his head to catch Kratos' thoughtful expression.

"A father just spends time with his children. They sometimes give gifts, but more often partake in games or other meaningless activities." At Lloyd's questioning glance, he elaborated. "What they're doing doesn't really matter, merely that they do it together. It's different because usually the father is working or supplying for the family." His formal tone began to slip away, "My son and I would sit by the campfire and talk, he'd ask me to tell stories. We'd stargaze and I'd give him riddles to solve, which he rarely did." Lloyd felt a smile come to his lips at the fondness kindled in Kratos' memories.

"Just spend time together?" Lloyd verified, liking the idea of it. A short laugh rang in his throat, a genuinely happy one. "Sort of like we're doing now?" Lloyd felt his smile widen.

"Yes, I suppose so." The corner of Kratos' mouth twitched upward as he tentatively met Lloyd's eyes. He never told much about his family, Lloyd knew. It meant a lot that Kratos would trust him with such precious memories. They had both lost so much, and somehow that brought them together.

"Happy Father's Day Kratos." Lloyd murmured, sure that the man heard him as they both looked back up at the darkening sky.

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***= At this point Lloyd still believes that Raine and Genis are elves!**

**(A/N) Please review if you liked it (or not) or have recommendations or suggestions for another one shot! Thanx for reading, you guys rock!**


	13. His One Fear

**(A/N) Hello all! I was on vacation, and wrote this in the car. Not my best work, I agree, but I wrote it so I might as well post it here. Criticism welcome. Enjoy if you can- it is fairly juvenile for lack of a better word.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the pathetic drabble of a plot.**

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**_"His One Fear"_**

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Kratos prodded the embers of the growing fire to coax it to life. Camp was set, dark was upon them, and yet the majority of the party was awake and bristling with unused energy. Lloyd, worst of all, was tapping his foot in the packed dirt and shifting restlessly. Evidently they had not seen enough action to warrant sleepiness. Kratos agreed it had been a rather boring day. Lloyd had hit upon the same train of thought and assessed the others curiously.

They had formed the customary circle around the fire, Genis to Lloyd's left, and Kratos to his right. Across the flames, Sheena was flipping through her cards absentmindedly while Raine had just opened an ancient-looking novel to peruse. Colette was staring into the flames to Raine's right, unusually melancholy. Lloyd didn't like a silent campfire.

"Does anyone want to play a game?" He rested his head on his arm, leaning forward as if eager for suggestions. As always, Kratos kept silent and looked on with mild interest. Genis scratched his head.

"Hm. I don't really know any campfire games. What do you want to play?" The half-elf cocked his head to the side. Lloyd rubbed his neck in the sheepish manner that was somehow endearing.

"I hadn't thought of any, actually." His expression dulled, but brightened after a moment's notice. "Aren't there truth telling games?" Kratos observed how easy it was to read Lloyd's moods. Transient and fleeting, they were written plainly on his face for all to see. So very different from his own blank exterior, the expressiveness was one of Anna's defining traits. Kratos saw so much of her in Lloyd.

"Yeah!" Genis had caught on and tested the idea, "Like if you ask a personal question, everyone has to answer it honestly. That way it's fair because everyone reveals something, but they learn something about everyone else. It's like equivalent exchange for privacy." Genis warmed up to the concept. Lloyd's eyes lit up with eagerness.

"Oh, that's a good idea. So something everyone has to answer? Who wants to play with us?" Lloyd glanced around the small group. Sheena nodded, obviously fed up with her cards.

"Sure, I'm in." Raine put up her book, collected as ever.

"I don't suppose I'll get any reading done if you guys are talking. I guess I'll join, too." Colette nodded as well, smiling that vacant smile that translated to any kind of happiness.

Kratos had become uneasy with the idea of truth-telling, but he'd gone so far down the trail of dishonesty, that this was a harmless exploit. As usual he said nothing, and as usual Lloyd took that as affirmation.

"Okay, everyone's in!" He rubbed his hands together excitedly. Silent for a short moment, he thought carefully about what his question would be. "I think I've got it!" Making dramatic eye contact with everyone, he posed the universal question. "What do you fear the most?"

Everyone was quiet for a few seconds before Genis accepted the premise. "That's a good one, Lloyd. You go first, since you got to pick." Lloyd nodded and scrunched up his nose while pondering his greatest fear.

"This is harder than I thought." He began, expression growing more somber. "I guess I fear death, because well- nobody wants to die, right? I'd be scared if any of you died, too. Actually, I think I'm more scared of losing you guys than dying." Kratos blinked. Lloyd was being _mature_? This was a serious and very grown-up way of approaching his own admittedly simple-minded question. When Kratos realized that he was included in the 'any of you', it struck him deeper than he thought possible. Lloyd then shivered involuntarily.

"And snakes. I hate snakes. They're so creepy. They don't even have legs, but they just-" his face contorted in disgusted horror, "_move_. Ugh." The corner of Kratos' mouth twitched up. So much for mature, then. Genis nodded, taking it upon himself to go next.

"I get that. Snakes are pretty creepy." Genis agreed good-naturedly, "I think I'd be afraid of dying, too. I'm scared of what Desian's do to people. I think I'm scared of people not accepting me. And I hate those enormous lady-bugs we always run into." His expression remained serious, a sort of terror gleaming in his wide eyes. "They always head straight for me to break my spells, and they're _huge_. I wish they would stop bothering me." His face became a bit gloomy, but Lloyd patted him on the shoulder reassuringly.

"Yea, I see them go at you. They must hate spell-casters or something." Sheena's eyebrows had shot up in near amusement, but closer to disbelief.

"Ladybugs, seriously?" She shook her head. "You know what, I suppose that's not too bad." She scowled when calling to mind her own fears. "Let's see. I fear-" she paused while gathering her thoughts "death for starters. People dying around me, or because of me. Hm, what else? I fear Tethe'alla's chosen and losing the ability to choose my own fate." She sounded off her list without a hitch, breezily approaching the sensitive topic. Firelight flickered on her midnight bangs, and darkened her expression.

"You fear Tethe'alla's chosen?" Colette asked with an enchanted expression. "Is he really powerful and scary?" Kratos noted that the other children were leaning forward in their spots, anxious for knowledge of the other world. Sheena gave a short chuckle and shook her head.

"No, he's not scary at all. Zelos is-" she appeared at a loss for words, "see, he's incredibly annoying. I'm afraid one day I'll kill him and live the rest of my life in royal prison." Colette looked taken aback, while crickets sounded beyond the dull roar of the flames.

"Sheena, I think I'm afraid of you. Just a little bit." Colette gave that nervous laugh she used too often that covered up nothing. "I'm also afraid that I'll run out of names for the dogs we meet. Pretty soon I'll have to start using you guys' names 'cos I can't come up with any more!" Kratos sighed in exasperation. Tragic, he thought sarcastically. Damn. He couldn't drop the sarcasm, even in his own head? Colette continued on. "I'm afraid of losing any of you, and I'm afraid of you guy's being sad or unhappy." That fit the girl to a 'T' he supposed. Always trying to please others. Lloyd and Genis looked to Raine as the next participant.

"Aah, it's not really a secret anymore, is it? I'm deathly afraid of water. I feel so unstable on a boat, like I have no control. It's illogical, I know, but somehow I can't get past it." She flushed unexpectedly, "and of course I'd be afraid to lose any of my students. Death can never be taken lightly. I suspect almost everyone fears it in some way, if not for themselves, then for others." Raine had the ponderous expression on her face. "I'm afraid history will be forgotten and artifacts destroyed. Without history, it would likely repeat itself. Knowing the past can keep us from making mistakes in the future and-"

Kratos had heard her preach this many times, and was content with zoning out a bit. It wasn't as if he was off his guard, or not paying attention. He was. Just a part of his mind was tentatively exploring the topic Lloyd had chosen.

Kratos gave it some thought. What _did_ he fear? Somewhere deep down in his subconscious he already knew, yet he had never really thought it. To voice a fear was to give it power- or rather to admit a weakness. However, knowing one's weakness gave him the ability to adapt accordingly, whereas playing straight into a fault could have dire consequences. So it would be optimal to acknowledge and analyze his fear. Resolved to attempt to do so, Kratos heaved a small sigh. It wouldn't make the subject any easier to approach. He supposed fear was painful like that for everyone, regardless of experience and age. Vulnerability lay in one's fatal flaw- and his just happened to be his greatest fear.

Secure as the deep recesses of his mind may be, Kratos was still reluctant to plod onwards. He did not fear death. In fact, he rather thought he deserved it. He did not fear pain. Nor did he fear monsters. Or water and fire. Did he fear failure and disappointment from others? He had never really cared what others thought about him. He had once been proud- though that pride had never relied on others for verification. Somehow 'disappointment' hit a hollow note in his chest.

The one- and only- thing left on the worlds that scared him...

-was Lloyd.

Everything about the boy had the strength to paralyze him with terror. He feared losing him to death, to hatred, to pain. He feared crushing his vivacious spirit with deception and betrayal. He feared twisting Lloyd's soul into knots resembling his own. Perhaps most of all, it scared him how much power Lloyd had over his every move. A power he wielded unknowingly. A few words from him could shatter four-thousand years of resolve in a single beat of his frozen heart. Perchance Lloyd held the heart he had forgotten he owned following Anna's death. More likely, he _was_ his heart.

But knowing this did not help him in the slightest. Caring was not an advantage. The tragedy of it all was what made staying with the teen selfishness. In order to help Lloyd, he had to hurt him. If he splintered any last pieces of his soul doing so- then so be it. What he was doing was more important than dread. It was more important to Lloyd, too- he just didn't realize it yet.

Snapping from his silent reverie, he was met by Lloyd's radiant expression.

"Kratos, it's your turn!" He smiled as if the topic were as straightforward and trivial as the weather, "What are you afraid of?" Genis gave him a scowl.

"Lloyd, this is Kratos. He probably doesn't fear anything." The bluntness and assurance in the half-elf's inflection mildly surprised Kratos. Lloyd, though, looked put in awe at the concept of fearlessness. Kratos didn't want to give him the wrong idea. The last thing he needed to be was to become Lloyd's idol- though some sick, naive part of him _wanted_ it so badly. Lloyd was ignorant to how weighty such a question was. It would be so easy to tell him and never leave his side. It could be simpler.

"I can only think of one thing." He began slowly, while trying to correct the admiration in Genis' statement. Another reverently enraptured look from Lloyd made him want to take the beginning back. He didn't deserve this, his mistake could never serve such simple penance. Secondly, he needed- no the _worlds_ needed the mercenary to betray Lloyd. It would be cruel for the both of them if Lloyd trusted him now.

"Well, what is it?" Lloyd inched a bit closer to him, unconsciously seeking what Kratos desperately wanted to give him. Kratos bailed miserably.

"Sitting in circles and discussing feelings." Kratos deadpanned as he recoiled both physically and emotionally. He closed up his walls with practiced ease and stood to walk away before his coarseness was noted on the boy's face.

If he kept pushing Lloyd away, perhaps he could save them both the agony the coming months would entail.

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**(A/N) I like the seriousness to the end, kind of a character introspection with Kratos. Anyways. I'd very much appreciate reviews, as this is my most viewed story, but I get very little feedback. I'd also like to shamelessly self-promote here and request that you visit my precious multi-chap ToS prequel: The Great Kharlan War. I have several other one-shots on my profile that I wrote before-hand as well if you're interested.**

**Again, sorry if some parts were too light and poorly transitioned, while others were dark and angsty (my favorite)- like I said, definitely not my best work. Review XD?**


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